General and Miscellaneous

Adolph Zukor Presents Broadway Highlights: Intimate News of the Gay White Way.

Presents a series of newsreel segments from the 1930s of celebrities of the day visiting New York's hot Broadway shows. Many prominent Big Apple personalities are shown, making this feature an important historical document as well as very entertaining viewing. Originally produced in 1936. 60 min. Video/C MM533

Affluenza

Uses personal stories, expert commentary and historic advertising film clips to illustrate the causes and negative consequences of consumerism in American society. 1998. 56 min. Video/C 5483

Description of the video from Bullfrog Films catalog

America in the '40s: A Sentimental Journey

1998. 57 min. each installment

Part 1, On Borrowed Time. In this first segment the decade begins with optimism, but the attack on Pearl Harbor brings America into its second world war. Popular music and movies of the time are featured along with wartime footage, home movies, and original stories from Americans who lived through those momentous years. Video/C 5807

Part 2, War Stories. This second segment focuses on riveting battle footage as the war accelerates, while veterans recount poignant tales of frontline terror and bonds of friendship that survive today. Includes archival footage of the war, of performances by USO troops, and of war plant workers at home, plus popular songs of the era. Video/C 5808

Part 3, Coming Home. In this final segment jointhe crowds who celebrated the end of World War II, and watch as GIs adjust to civilian life, marriage, and babies. Then re-live America's introduction to the gadget that would change life forevermore: Television. Features archival footage and popular songs that helped define the era. Video/C 5809

America, Lost and Found: The Depression Decade

Uses newsreels, old photographs, feature film clips, advertisements, and home movies to create a portrait of America in the 1930's. Conveys the psychological impact of the economic and social collapse that accompanied the Great Depression in the United States, how America reacted to the loss of its dreams and how these dreams were rebuilt. 1979. 59 min. Video/C 8988

America on the Road (A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers).

A history of the automobile and its profound effects on American society. 1984. 60 min. Video/C 805 60 min.

American Porn

With adult movies and magazines, retail store sales and the growth of the Internet, pornography is one of the hottest industries in America. This investigative report examines the forces behind the recent explosion of sexually explicit material available in American society and the pending political battle that may engulf the multi-billion dollar pornography industry. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television program Frontline. c2002. 60 min. Video/C 9048

The Aristocrats

Comedy veterans, Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza, use their insider status and invite over 100 of their closest friends to reminisce, analyze, deconstruct and deliver their own versions of the world's dirtiest joke. The joke is old burlesque and too extreme to be performed in public. It's called The Aristocrats. A film by Penn Jillette & Paul Provenza. 2005. 90 min. DVD 5078

Barbie Nation: An Unauthorized Tour.

Journeying from Barbie conventions to anti-Barbie demonstrations, from girls' play dates to Barbie web pages, Barbie Nation plumbs the international cult of the Barbie doll, telling the Barbie stories of diverse men, women and children. Producer/director/writer/narrator, Susan Stern. 1998. 54 min. Video/C 5669

bell hooks: Cultural Criticism & Transformation.

bell hooks makes a compelling argument for the transformative powers of cultural criticism. She demonstrates how learning to think critically was central to her own self-transformation and how it can play a role in students' quest for a sense of agency and identity. Includes footage from many films and music videos, and news coverage. c1997. 61 min. Video/C 4970

Description from Media Education Foundation catalog

Bravo, Bread, & Circuses

Shows the importance of big stars and their fans in South America. Each star represents a facet of the South American character: A Colombian bullfighter embodies the "lordly Spaniard," while a black world champion boxer and the people of his village symbolize rebellion or the "Guerrilla." 1987? 60 min. Video/C MM716

By-line Newsreel. (Tyler-Texas Black Film Collection: The Missing Link in Black Cinema)

Newsreels providing close-ups of black leaders in government and sports. Produced by Bill Alexander and Biddy Wood, 1956/1957.

Vol. 1: Opens with shots of black government officials in the EisenhowerAdministration followed by footage of Marine Reservists departing for basic training. In sports, the Baltimore Colts with black star Lenny Moore, take on the Chicago Bears, with black star Bobby Watkins. Fashion models wearing "I like Ike" buttons are shown followed by an interview with Mrs. Carmel Carrington Marr, A U.N. official. Video/C 7176

Vol. 2: Opens with Afro-Americans celebrating in the "I'm an American Day" parade in Baltimore. At Altus Air Force Base, a black soldier comes to the aid of a white engineer who is disabled. Black officials of the Eisenhower Administration are shown including Samuel Pierce, Undersecretary of Labor. Concludes with a visit to the Savannah Club in New York's Greenwich Village. Video/C 7177

Vol. 3: Black members of the Eisenhower administration are interviewed including a top aide, the first black member of the White House staff, and Assistant Secretary of Labor, J. Ernest Wilkins. In sports, Air Force athletes are shown competing in Olympic track and field tryouts in Los Angeles. Video/C 7178

Vol. 4: The 1956 Republican National Convention in San Francisco is shown with interviews of leading Black Republicans. In sports, scenes from the Morgan State-North Carolina State football game are shown and at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, President Eisenhower opens the World Series by throwing out the first ball to Dodger catcher Roy Campanella. Video/C 7179

California Roll

A sexy, hip hop journey into the fast moving, high rolling Asian America youth market on the West Coast. Follow DJ Hideo as he explains how, why and for whom, this scene exists. Visits Asian American Hollywood nightspots, the Go Go Girl phenomenon, and of course, what hip hop music is to the Asian American scene today. Produced and directed by Stanley Lim. 2005. 50 min. DVD 9571

Cola Conquest

1998. 50 min. each installment

The Big Sell. Coca-Cola, invented by a Civil War veteran, is the most recognized brand name on earth. First sold as a patent tonic, its second owner, Asa Griggs Candler, used mass market advertising to make it America's most popular soft drink. Coca-Cola spawned many imitators, among them Pepsi-Cola. In the 1960's, with its "Pepsi generation" slogan and successful Michael Jackson ad, Pepsi challenges Coke, and the cola wars begin. Video/C 8972

Cola War and Peace. Details the rivalry between Coca-Cola and Pepsi for most of this century. When the American army went to Europe in World War II, Coca-Cola went with it, and became identified with American patriotism. The chairman of Coca-Cola was involved in the presidential campaigns of Dwight Eisenhower, and the chairman of Pepsi in Richard Nixon's. Pepsi enjoyed a monopoly in Russia during the 1970s. With glasnost and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Coke and Pepsi compete as equals for emerging markets worldwide. Video/C 8973

Coca-colonization Reveals the marketing strategies used by Coca-Cola from the 1980's on, as it becomes the No. 1 soft drink in the world, and pursues its goal of becoming the No. 2 beverage. From selling Coca-Cola at a loss in poor countries to sponsorship of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, it succeeds. But as new markets open to Americanization, there are political consequences, as Guatemala and Burma show. Video/C 8974

Call It Home.

A pictorial history of suburban development planned by developers, government agencies and savings and loan companies. Begins at the time of the Depression (1929-1940) and concludes with the 1960's. Includes garden cities and Levittowns and financial, real estate and building industries. Maps show racial segregation. Depicts the mutual influence of highways and urban sprawl. And ends with interior design and Special features: 17 rare film clips from advertising, industrial and government films. Over 2,800 archival photographs, advertisments, maps, plans, and documents tracing suburban history from 1934 to 1960. Archival audio track with historical radio programs and additional film soundtracks. 24-page booklet with chapter index, full bibliography, image log with notes, and graphic study of comparative suburban morphology. c1992. 56 min. Video/D 153

Carmen Miranda: Bananas is My Business

Using archival footage, film fragments, interviews, and dramatic re-enactments, acclaimed director Helena Solberg goes behind-the-scenes to convey the true life story of the "Brazilian Bombshell," singer and actress Carmen Miranda. c1996. 90 min. DVD 2594; also on VHS Video/C 4786

Coca-Cola: The History of an American Icon

Just over 100 years ago, the world never heard of a cola. Presented here is a behind-the-scenes chronicle of the story of a product that began as a dream to find the perfect formula for a soda-fountain drink. When it was coupled with innovative and pioneering marketing techniques, it sparked a social revolution that made Coca-Cola the world's favorite soft drink. "The story of this American icon is told with the help of rare photographs and previously unseen footage." c2001. 145 min. DVD 1130

Culture of Nature (Shock of the New; 7).

Discusses why the 20th century brought about a major change in the subject matter used by artists. Shows how the various manifestations of popular culture replaced nature as the focus of artistic interest and describes the Pop art movement.1988. 52 min. Video/C 223

Dominoes.

A portrait of the 1960's using documentary film footage and rock music from the period. Focuses on a succession of tableaus, conveying the director's view that one thing led to another. Presented as an artist's impressions, not to be construed as strictly sequential. c199?. 60 min. Video/C 2125

Drinking in America.

Based on the book entitled Drinking in America: a History by Mark Edward Lender and James Kirby Martin. 1995. Video/C 1460

Drive-in Movie Memories

Presents the history, development, and decline of drive-in movie theaters. Features interviews and commentaries with actors, producers, critics, and others involved in the drive-in movie industry. Based on the books The American drive-in movie theatre and Drive-in movie memories by Don and Susan Sanders. c2006. 58 min. DVD 5488

Electric Happenings

Bill Haley and the Comets, "Rock 'n Rally" with St. Ignatius High School, Beatles in SF, Haight-Ashbury, to the moon and back. KPIX Television Station, 1970. Video/C 2044

Electronic Bodies

This experimental film is a virtual tour through Graceland, Michael Jackson's Neverland and Disneyland. Winding through the lives and accessories of the famous individuals who constructed these fantasy homes, the film is also an examination of cultural transformers who recreated themselves into American myth. A tape by Rita Gonzalez. 1996. 18 min. Video/C 9213

POPaganda: The Art & Crimes of Ron English

A documentary about the culture jamming and billboard liberation antics of Ron English: billboard bandit, post-punk prankster, and counter-cultural cartoonist. A modern Robin Hood of Madison Avenue, artist Ron English paints, perverts, infiltrates, reinvents, and satirizes modern culture on canvas, in songs, and directly on hundreds of pirated billboards. 2005. 78 min. DVD 6407

Ephemeral Films.

To New Horizons: Ephemeral Films, 1931-1945. Clips from 19 rarely-seen motion pictures, leftovers from the golden age of American industry. Video/D 20

Contents: In my merry Oldsmobile (1931) -- Master hands (1936) -- We drivers (1936) -- Chevrolet leader news (1936) -- Relax (1937) -- Precisely so (1937) -- Extra (1938) -- Breakfast pals (1938) -- Three smart daughters (1938) -- Oxydol goes into high (1938) -- 'Round and 'round (1939) -- Back of the mike (1939) -- Leave it to Roll-oh (1940) -- Home movies (1940) -- To new horizons (1940) -- Let yourself go (1940) -- Magic in the air (1941) -- To market, to market (1942) -- News sketches by Max Fleischer (1944/45). Videodisc Video/D 20

To New Horizons Online Video via the Internet Moving Image Archive

You Can't Get There From Here: Ephemeral Films, 1946-1960. Clips from 19 rarely-seen motion pictures, leftovers from the golden age of American consumerism. Video/D 21

Contents: A report to home builders (1946) -- Shy guy (1947) -- Are you popular? (1947) -- Technicolor for industrial films (1949) -- Meet King Joe (1949) -- Dating: do's and dont's (1949) -- The last date (1950) -- A date with your family (1950) -- Treasures for the making (1951) -- What to do on a date (1951) -- A young man's fancy (1952) -- Ike for president (1952) -- Mother takes a holiday (1952)-- Sniffles and sneezes (1955) -- Two-Ford freedom (1956) -- Design for dreaming (1956) -- The relaxed wife (1957) -- American look (1958) -- A wonderful new world of Fords (1960). DVD 7125 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 9299[preservation copy]; Videodisc Video/D 21

Design for Dreaming Online video (via Internet Moving Image Archive)

Ethnic Notions.

Written and directed by Marlon Riggs. Discusses the racist depiction of blacks in American popular and material culture. 1987. 57 min. Video/C 1024

I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs. Video/C 4463

Marlon Riggs bibliography

Description from California Newsreel catalog

Independent Television Service's "Black Is...Black Ain't web page

Interview with Marlon Riggs from JumpCut Magazine

Thompson, Cliff

"Black Is ... Black Ain't." Cineaste v22, n4 (Fall, 1996):55 (2 pages).

Nancy Grant. The Journal of American History, Vol. 74, No. 3, The Constitution and American Life A Special Issue (Dec 1987), pp. 1107-1109 [full-text available only to UCB users]

The Fabulous Sixties.

Reviews the events, personalities, cultural and social trends, and business and sports achievements responsible for making the 1960's a decade of sharp contrasts. 1970. 10 tapes 550 min. total. Video/C 1065-1066

[David Halberstam's] The Fifties.

Volume 1: The Fear and the Dream. First segment in a six part series on the United States in the Fifties. In the postwar U.S., new affluence mingled with the fear of the new menace of communism. Film discusses the conditions encountered by WWII veterans, the building of the first housing tract, the development of the nuclear arms race and the hydrogen bomb, anti-Communist hysteria and McCarthyism, events leading to the Korean War and the development of popular literature in the 50's focusing on Mickey Spillane. 1997. 90 min. Video/C 5378

Volume 2: Selling the American Way. Still haunted by the Great Depression, Americans needed to be coaxed into enjoying their new-found affluence. This episode shows how the invention of television and the perfection of the art of advertising were used in both commerce and politics. Highlights advertising gurus Norman Vincent Peale and Rosser Reeves, shows how Richard Nixon applied slick new media techniques to save his career and how Washington learned to manipulate the media, hiding undercover operations in places like Iran, Guatemala and ultimately, Vietnam. 50 min. Video/C 5379

Volume 3: Let's Play House. This segment describes the personal unrest sometimes felt in the outwardly tranquil fifties, including dissatisfaction with women's roles as housewives and men's roles in the corporate rat race. Feminist Betty Friedan, Sloan Wilson, author of The man in the gray flannel suit, and Grace Metalious, whose steamy novel Petyon Place exposed small-town hypocrisy, are discussed as representative of the gap between the idealized nuclear family of the 1950s and the way things really were. 50 min. Video/C 5380

Volume 4: A Burning Desire. During this time of social claustrophobia and sexual taboos, a handful of individuals brought a world of suppressed desires into the open. The publication of the famed "Kinsey Report", pin-up girl Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Hefner's Playboy, and Margaret Sanger's crusade for the pill are profiled as key movements that set the stage for the sexual revolution to come. 50 min. Video/C 5381

Volume 5: The Beat.This episode shows how the culture of the Beats and the rise of rock 'n' roll helped forge the youth culture that would explode in the sixties. Focuses in Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, jazz greats Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, the rise of country/rock and Elvis Presley. 50 min. Video/C 5382

Volume 5: The Rage Within and The Road to the Sixties. "The Rage Within" shows how America in the fifties is finally forced to examine issues of racial discrimination through the murder of Emmet Till, the rise of athletes like Bill Russell and Willie Mays, school desegregation, the Montgomery bus strike, and leadership by Martin Luther King, Jr. "The Road to the Sixties" shows American involvement with fast cars, fast food, the space race, the rise of Fidel Castro in Cuba and a rising restlessness as the country hurtles toward the next decade. 50 min. Video/C 5383

The Films of Charles and Ray Eames. Volume 5

Tops -- IBM at the fair -- A computer glossary -- Eames lounge chair -- The expanding airport -- Kepler's Laws -- Bread -- Polyorchis Haplus -- Tops (from Stars of Jazz) Exec. producer, Lucian Demetrios. Narrator: Gregory Peck. Tops: These many tops are a classic Eames toy film. IMB at the fair: Shows the brilliant Eames/Saarinen IBM Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's fair. Computer glossary: Jargon of computers expresses something of their nature. Eames lounge chair: Assembly of the famous chair at hyperwarp speed. Expanding airport: Concise history of airports leading into Eero Saarinen's Dulles Airport concept. Kepler's laws: Bread as nutrition, craft, and culture. Polyorchis Haplus: Lyrical motion of a tiny sea creature. Tops (from Stars of jazz): Rarely seen precursor to the classic "Tops." DVD 442

The Flapper Story.

Using a lively blend of interviews and archival footage, this documentary takes a look at the flapper, the proclaimed "New woman" ideal of America's roaring twenties. 1985. 29 min. Video/C 2973

Flappers: The Birth of the 20th-Century Woman

Using vibrant archival film clips and interviews with women who came of age during the Roaring 20s in Britain, this program chronicles the emergence of the modern woman in the aftermath of World War I. Higher education for women, the entry of women into politics and the professions, women's suffrage, new attitudes toward sexuality, and other topics are addressed within the historical context of the early 1900s. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1999. 53 min. Video/C 8712

Focus on the Last Hundred Years.

Uses archival photographs, sound recordings, and film footage to explore world events, sports, life-styles, and scientific achievements of various decades. ca. 58 min. each

1900-1909. Video/C 1000

1910-1919. Video/C 1001

The Twenties. Video/C 1002

The Thirties. Video/C 1003

The Forties. Video/C 1004

The Fifties. Video/C 1005

1960-1964, the Kennedy years. Video/C 1006

1965-1969, the angry years. Video/C 1007

Food: You Are What You Eat (90's Home Video Collection).

Michael Jacobsen, Gail Smith / by Eddie Becker -- Islander restaurant / by Eddie Becker and Danese Seals -- Salad Bar / by Skip Blumberg -- Wax food in Tokyo / by Chip Lord -- Jim Bouton / by Marty Goldensohn -- Weinermobile / by Matthew Gilson -- Chinese noodle making backwards and forward at Yang's Chinese Restaurant / by Skip Blumberg -- Food song / by Nancy Cain -- Just saying stuff about food / by Anna Weinberg. 1991. 60 min. Video/C 2202

Forbidden City, U.S.A.

"The Forbidden City" was a San Francisco nightclub of the 1930's and 40's featuring Chinese American entertainers. This documentary contains rare film clips from the old club acts, new prints from 35 mm. nitrate negatives, music from vintage 78 records and contemporary interviews, with performers and club owner Charlie Low, tracing the history of this era. 1989. 56 min. Video/C 1775

Description from Center for Asian American Media catalog

Generation M: Misogyny in Media & Culture

Despite the achievements of the women's movement over the past four decades, misogyny remains a presistent force in American culture. This documentary examines the sexism that continues to proliferate in media depictions, entertainment, and society. Interviewees include Jean Kilbourne (Killing Us Softly), Jackson Katz (Tough Guise), and many others. Looks at the selling of sex as a form of female empowerment, idealized beauty, gender training, misogyny in music and games, and the double standards that exist in media and society when it comes to women and men, as well as recommendations for change. Written, produced, and directed by Thomas Keith. c2008. 60 min. DVD X148

Description from Media Education Foundation catalog

Graffiti/Post-Graffiti.

Explains the art style that evolved from graffiti spray-painted on subway surfaces to canvas paintings now hung in major art galleries. In this documentary of the early '80's movement, the viewer listens to the movers and shakers of this imaginative trend, and examines the Hip-Hop culture in action, traveling to the South Bronx where most of it started. Interviews: Charlie Ahearn, Patti Astor, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Fred Brathwaite (Fab 5 Freddy), "Crash," Stefan Eins, Futura 2000, Keith Haring, Sidney Janis, "Lady Pink," Dolores and Hubert Neumann, Rammellzee and Tony Shafrazi. c1984. 28 min. Video/C 6323

Graffiti Verite: Read the Writing on the Wall

Los Angeles graffiti artists discuss the themes and motivations of their work, and how they evolved from taggers to artists. Several are shown at work on projects, indoors as well as outside. The history and significance of graffiti is addressed, as is its role in the Hip Hop culture. c1995. 45 min. Video/C 4469

GV2: Graffiti Verite 2

A follow-up film to the award winning documentary Graffiti Verite. Includes interviews with more graffiti artists and street scenes with over 400 tags, throw-ups and pieces of "street art" all presented to a backdrop of Hip Hop music. Includes coverage of the winning artwork of the First International Graffiti Art Competition. 1998. 58 min. Video/C 5719

GV3: Graffiti Verite 3 (The Final Episode)

The Final Episode is a poetic voyage, a meditation, into the iconography of Graffiti art featuring an eclectic sound track as it's emotional and intellectual core. "GV3 is a compelling sensorial experience; shockingly honest and defiantly politically incorrect." c2000. 54 min. Video/C 7118

GV4: Graffiti Verite 4

Sano, two-time winner of the International Graffiti Art Competition, teaches this underground art form, by showing the concepts, aesthetics, techniques, and style needed to complete a perfect semi "Wild Style" masterpiece and aerosol art on canvas. c2003. 67 min. DVD 2987

GV5: Graffiti Verite 5: The Sacred Elements of Hip-hop

Records a historic 4 day Hip-Hop Summer Workshop conducted at Metro High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Captures the excitement of this innovative workshop and what emerges is a portrait of the educational value and liberating therapeutic power contained within the unique elements of the contemporary hip-hop movement. c2003. 42 min. DVD 2988

Great Escape, 1927. (The People's Century)

By the mid-1920s, millions worldwide were already confirmed "moviegoers". Movies reflected and affected the way people dressed, thought and spoke, teaching the inexperienced about love and courage, while the governments around the globe were quick to realize the power of film: this new mass entertainment would also prove an unrivaled tool of mass persuasion. Here moviegoers reminisce, revealing how the new medium persuaded, influenced and entralled them, as it offered a welcome refuge from the century's pressures. c1998. 56 min. Video/C 5549

Hello Columbus.

This delightful look at the Italian-American Columbus Day celebration in San Francisco features that inimitable man-on-the-street reporter, Mal Sharpe. He leads the viewer through highlights of the celebration and enlivens the proceedings by posing a variety of offbeat and thorny questions to participants and bystanders alike. 1987. 27 min. Video/C MM847

How to Create a Junk Food (Nova).

Julia Child introduces NOVA's behind-the-scenes exploration of two new snacks in the making. 1988. 58 min. Video/C 1244

I, Doll: The Unauthorized Biography of America's 11 1/2" Sweetheart

A history and examination of the international social phenomenon of the Barbie doll; a toy, idol, role model and fashion model reflecting standards of appearance and lifestyle for girls and women since 1959. Praised for encouraging little girls towards careers and accessorizing, she is also blamed for eating disorders, silicone breast implants and collection frenzies. Along the way meet the "Barbie Hall of Fame" curator, as well as bulmics, artists, owners of Barbie collections and other people whose lives have been affected by this doll. Produced, directed and written by Tula Asselanis. 1995. 58 min. Video/C MM1014

Description from Women Make Movies catalog

The Irving Klaw Classics

Featuring Bettie Page. In the 1950s Irving Klaw was known as the King of Pin Ups, famous for his photos of beautiful girls in lingerie and high heels. From 1951-1956 he produced over a hundred short fetish, wrestling and dance films featuring Bettie Page and other glamour girls of the time. Volume 1 is dedicated to Klaw's most popular model, Bettie Page, who with her distinctive hair-cut and girlish looks, became a popular monument of femininity. 60 min. DVD 7524

It's a Mall World

Examines cultural and psychological aspects of what is now an archetypal suburban experience: shopping at the mall. Visiting "cathedrals of consumerism" throughout North America -- from the Southdale, Minnesota, progenitor of the enclosed retail mall to the absurdly spectacular Grand Canal Shoppes and Desert Passage in Las Vegas -- the video raises fundamental questions about consumer identity and diversity. Evoking "experience retail" as a conceptual counterpoint to Internet-driven home shopping, the program also catalyzes inquiry into the relationship between economics, architecture, and human interaction. 2001. 47 min. DVD 5624

Japanese Version.

Explores Japan's fascination with things American, pointing out that in borrowing from other cultures there emerges a distinct Japanese slant on such things as American baseball, the 1950's, weddings, and "love hotels". c1991. 56 min. Video/C 2536

Joan Sees Stars

A video artist's look at the ways that celebrity culture, especially movie stars, make their way into our lives, our beds and our dreams. The piece combines performance material in which the artist literally inserts herself into movie history (or it -- into her body) with the expressive use of special effects which are used to create metaphors, to visually punch out meanings suggested verbally by the script and the performance. c1993. 60 min. Video/C 8702

Description from Women Make Movies catalog

Jones Beach: An American Riviera

Archival newsreels, still photographs, period music and personal interviews chronicle the history of Jones Beach, a New York landmark described as "the finest seashore playground in the world." Set against a backdrop of the social history of the first half of the 20th century, the film places the pioneering design and construction of noted urban planner Robert Moses' masterpiece, Jones Beach, in the context of Depression-era New York. 1998. 30 min. Video/C 4368

Lowriders.

Examines the conflicts with community and police in Compton, California, surrounding the low riders and their cruising, culture and car rallies in customized automobiles. 1995. 28 min. Video/C 4368

Making Sense of the 60's.

A comprehensive look at politics, social movements, and culture of the 1960's. 6 parts, ca. c1991. 60 min. each. Video/C 1953

March of Time

Other March of Time installments listed in MRC's US History and Politics videography.

March of Time: The American Family. The War Years, 1941-1945 -- The Postwar Years, 1946-1948. Stories feature the concerns of U.S. families during and after World War II, such as rationing, the "baby boom," marriage and divorce. In two parts (2 tapes, 89 min. each): Part 1: Contents: Americans all -- Mr. and Mrs. America -- America's food crisis -- Americans all -- Where's the meat?; Part 2: Contents: Life with baby -- Nobody's children -- Life with junior -- Life with grandpa -- Marriage and divorce. DVD 8936-8937 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 1112: 1-2

March of Time: The American Family. American Fashion and Leisure, 1945-1950.

Selected newsreels examine fashion, beauty and leisure time in the U.S. Contents: American beauty -- Tomorrow's Mexico -- Fashion means business -- The fight game -- Wish you were here -- The male look. 105 min. DVD 8935 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 1113

March of Time: The American Family. America's Youth, 1940-1950. Stories examine the effects of war on the young men and women of America, their dreams and desires, and the conditions of U.S. schools and education. Contents: America's youth -- Youth in crisis -- Teenage girls -- The fight for better schools -- Schools march on. 90 min. DVD 8936 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 1114

March of Time: The American Family. Show Business. Present various aspects of the U.S. entertainment industry, including motion pictures, popular music, theater and nightclubs. In two parts (2 tapes, 92 min. each): Part 1: Contents: The movie marches on -- Show business at war -- Upbeat in music -- Challenge to Hollywood; Part 2: Contents: The nightclub boom -- Is everybody listening -- On stage -- It's in the groove -- Beauty at work. DVD 8939-8940 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 1115: 1-2

The March of Time: The Great Depression.

Originally produced as a newsreel by Time Magazine, The March of Time was seen monthly for sixteen years in more than 50,000 theatres around the globe. This multiple award-winning documentary series takes a fascinating look at the world during the first half of the 20th century.

Contents: Pt. 1. Time marches in 1935: Saionji -- Speakeasy Street -- Belisha Beacons -- Buchsbaum -- Fred Perkins -- Metropolitan Opera -- Huey Long (88 min.) -- Pt. 2. Economy blues, 1935-1936: Army (USA) -- Croix de Feu -- Ethiopia -- Bootleg coal -- Civil Conservation Corps. -- G.O.P. (Pres. Hoover) (88 min.) -- Pt. 3. Trouble beyond our shores 1935-1936: Japan-China! -- Narcotics -- Townsend Plan -- Pacific Islands -- TVA -- Diebler -- Moscow (82 min.) -- Pt. 4. War and labor woes 1936: Veterans of future wars -- Arson squads in action -- Florida canal -- Field trials -- League of Nations Union -- Railroads -- Albania's King Zog (111 min.) -- Pt. 5. Prosperity ahead 1936: "Lunatic" fringe -- Passamquoddy -- U.S. Milky way -- Labor versus labor -- England's tithe war -- Football business (106 min.) -- Pt. 6. Reality and America's dreams 1937: Conquering cancer -- Mormonism 1937 -- Midwinter vacations -- Father of all Turks -- Birth of Swing -- Enemies of alcohol -- Child labor (97 min.). 6 videocassettes (572 min. total)

The Merchants of Cool

Examines the tactics, techniques and cultural ramifications of marketing moguls who are seeking the teen market. Explores the culture in which today's American teenager is growing up, and the relationships among teens, parents, the media and the marketers of popular culture. Originally produced as a segment on the television program Frontline. c2001. 60 min. DVD 1633; also on VHS Video/C 8130

American Library Assn. Video Roundtable Notable Video

Media Review Digest

Mickey Mouse Monopoly

Takes a close and critical look at the animated films produced by the Disney Company and the cultural values and assumptions propagated in terms of race, gender and class. Includes contributions from cultural critics, media scholars, child psychologists, educators and children. Contents: Disney's media dominance -- Disney's gender representations -- Disney's race representations -- Disney's commercialization of children's culture. c2001. 52 min. Video/C 7751

Media Education Foundation catalog description

Modest Scarring

An autobiographical documentary in which the filmmaker uses his elaborate decision-making process about whether or not to get a tatoo as a jumping off point for a larger discussion of youth, rebellion and regret. As he interviews those who tattoo, who are tatooed and who are firmly opposed to the tattoo, other issues of social class, art, and self-esteem arise in this exploration of the need to be permanently marked. A film by Randy Bell. 2003. 28 min. DVD 3094

Description from Documentary Educational Resources Catalog

Mr. Sears' Catalogue (American Experience).

The development and growth of the Sears, Roebuck and Company mail order catalogue business and its impact on American culture, particularly upon rural America. c1989. 59 min. Video/C 1540

My Father's Camera

Looks at home movies and their unique place in popular culture. Director Karen Shopsowitz traces the history of home movies from the 1920s to the amateur explosion of the '30s and '40s and beyond. She interviews members of the Toronto Film Club, a Japanese-American archivist who sees home movies as an expression of cultural diversity and a collector who hosts popular Webcasts that highlight new acquisitions. Dist.: National Film Board of Canada. c2000. 60 min. Video/C 9351

Next: A Primer on Urban Painting

Interviews with: Lee Quinones, Banksy, Swoon, Doze Green, Heavyweight, Delta, Os Gemeos, Kami, Sasu. Exploration of graffiti-based visual art as a world culture. The filmmaker profiles the art form in nine countries including USA, Canada, France, Holland, Germany, England, Spain, Japan and Brazil. Features a combination of 'verite' moments and interviews with painters, writers, designers, documentarians and other participants within the subculture, conveying the dynamism and creative energy of this significant emerging artistic community. Produced and directed by Pablo Aravena. 2005. 95 min. DVD X452

No Logo: Brands, Globalization, Resistance

Using hundreds of media examples, No Logo shows how the commercial takeover of public space, destruction of consumer choice, and replacement of real jobs with temporary work (the dynamics of corporate globalization) impact everyone, everywhere. It also draws attention to the resistance arising globally to challenge the hegemony of brands. c2003. 42 min. Video/C 9600

Description from Media Education Foundation catalog

On the Street, Music & People (90's Home Video Collection).

Downtown / by Mo Murphy -- Across from City Hall / by Carla Leshne -- Robert Byrd / by Jim Mulryan -- What Memphis needs / by Alexis Krasilovsky -- Zimbabwe homeless / by Andrew Jones -- The old balladeer / by Jim Passin -- The wastebasket / by Skip Blumberg -- Smogophobia / by Maxi Cohen -- What's that smell / by Skip Blumberg -- Times Square, 1991 / by Esti Marpet -- Third Avenue: only the strong survive / by Downtown Community TV -- Art pushes, art provokes / by Pedro Carvajal -- Overnight man / by Tom Weinberg -- Chicago musicians / by Kathie Robertson -- Project troubadour / by Stuart Leigh -- Todd Alcott / by Skip Blumberg -- Times Beach / by Bruce Lixey -- One man band / by Nancy Cain -- New York City street scenes / by Skip Blumberg. 1991. 60 min. Video/C 2206

The Order of Myths

The first Mardi Gras in America was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama in 1703. In 2007, it is still racially segregated. Filmmaker Margaret Brown, herself a daughter of Mobile, escorts us into the parallel hearts of the city's two carnivals. With unprecedented access, she traces the exotic pageantry, diamond-encrusted crowns, voluminous, hand-sewn gowns, surreal masks and enormous paper mache floats. Against this opulent backdrop, she uncovers a tangled web of historical violence and power dynamics, elusive forces that keep this hallowed tradition organized along enduring color lines. Directed by Margaret Brown ; produced by Margaret Brown, Sara Alize Cross. Dist. Cinema Guild. c2008. 77 min. DVD X356

The Original Kings of Comedy

Directed by Spike Lee. Features: Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac. Documentary capturing four major African American stand-up comedians. Filmed in Charlotte North Carolina during their "Kings of Comedy" tour, they crack jokes about race, sex, families and human responses. Includes backstage footage and interviews. 2000. 115 min. DVD 557

Our Secret Century.

(CD-ROM for Macintosh).

Media archaeologist Richard Prelinger presents ten hilarious, disturbing, and revealing archival films.

Internet Moving Images Archive (Prelinger Archive)

Ephemeral Films DVD 7462 [preservation copy]; Video/D 20 & 21

Call It Home Video/D 153

Volumes 1 and 2. Contents: 1. The rainbow is yours -- 2. Capitalist realism. In vol. 1, seven color films explore how 1950s glitz 'n' glamour seduced Americans into an obsession with the look of designed objects; includes "American Look," the definitive Populuxe film, and General Motors' 1956 motorama musical, "Design for dreaming." In vol. 2, two black-and-white 1930s industrial films attempt to humanize the face of mass production, very much like Soviet propaganda, and "Valley Town" tells the story of a depressed steel town. c1996. Compu/D 345

Volumes 3 and 4. Contents: 1. The behavior offensive -- 2. Menace and jeopardy. In vol. 3, nine comic and creepy social-guidance classics document the postwar social crusade to instill family values, 1950s style. Highlights: Are you popular?, Shy guy, and Habit patterns. In vol. 4, seven safety films shot between 1936 and 1962, lecture about the perils of haste and carelessness. Classics of this genre include Time out for trouble, More dangerous than dynamite, and Safety belt for Susie. Compu/D 346

Volumes 5 and 6. Contents: 1. Teenage transgression -- 2. The Uncharted landscape. In vol. 5, six movies explore the not-so-golden years of the late fifties and early sixties. White and Chicano gangs in working class L.A. call a truce in Gang Boy. Robert's downward spiral in The Dropout includes a stint in the malt shop waiting on his one-time peers and The Terrible truth is that nice girls get hooked on "horse". Vol. 6 is a rare visual record of the changing face of urban and rural America, the blank slate upon which fantasies of growth and prosperity were enacted. In the Suburbs celebrates the swingin' white suburban dream (a paradise for advertisers), and in American Harvest the exploitation of our bountiful natural resources culminates in...a Chevrolet. Compu/D 347

Volumes 7 and 8. Contents: 1. Gender roll call -- 2. Tireless marketers. Vol. 7 considers how and when girls and boys learn to be true to their sex in the inflexible fifties. The Home Economics story points out that "cooking is practically applied chemistry," and dinette doubles as darkroom when Mike's photographer wife solves those pesky two-career problems by quitting her job. Vol. 8 documents the growth of mass advertising and its migration from movie theaters to television. These sweet and subtle precursors to the infomercial include the journey of an animated drop of gasoline through the fuel-efficient 1935 Chevrolet and "RFD Greenwich Village," a suburban oasis where the modern villager relaxes in mod duds of all-cotton corduroy. Compu/D 348

Las Papas del Papa (The Pope's Potatoes)

In 1999 when Pope John Paul II visited Mexico, it was not only the visit of Mexico's most revered living religious figure, but also an opportunity for product placements and corporate tie-ins. In one case, promotional stickers of the Pope appeared in bags of potato chips. This short narrative follows the confusions of a young boy who searches for a shortcut to heaven, in the media saturated world of the Pope's 1999 visit to Mexico. Dirigido y escrito por Alex Rivera con Efrain Santa Cruz. 2000. 8 min. Video/C 9212

Paris Hilton Inc.: The Selling of Celebrity.

We are drowning in celebrity culture and certainly no tabloid topic has been as big as Paris Hilton ... Famous for doing nothing, she is the ultimate manifestation of our obsession with celebrity culture and the massive profits that it wields ... Being the first with a celebrity scoop has been the stock and trade of the tabloid magazine business, but only in recent years has that competition spilled over into the traditional news business. Pushed by the surging popularity of entertainment and gossip sites on the Internet, the media landscape is being reshaped by the world of "dish." The ethicists may howl, the columnists complain, but viewers rule and the celebrity machine is more than ready to oblige. As long as we are willing to watch and read, who can resist feeding our habit? Originally broadcast on the CBC series Doc Zone on November 29, 2007. Dist.: Films Media Group. 45 min. DVD X587

People Like Us: Social Class in America

How do income, family background, education, attitudes, aspirations, and even appearance mark someone as a member of a particular social class? Discusses how social class plays a role in the lives of all Americans, whether they live in Park Avenue penthouses, Appalachian trailer parks, bayou houseboats or suburban gated communities. Travels across the U.S. to present stories of family traditions, class mobility, and different lifestyle choices. Part 1. The choices you make reveal your class (Joe Queenan's balsamic vinegar tour ; The trouble with tofu ; How to marry the rich) -- Part 2. A tour through the landscape of class (WASP lessons ; A Bourgeois blues ; Tammy's story) -- Part 3. Blue collar life in a white collar world (Gnomes r us ; Friends in low places ; Don't get above your raisin') -- Part 4. Understanding the rules of the game (All you need is cash ; Most likely to succeed).film by Andrew Kolker & Louis Alvarez. Dist.: The Center for New American Media. 2001. 124 min. DVD 8442; vhs Video/C 8953

Popular Culture: Rage, Rights, and Responsibility

A vigorous exchange by a distinguished group of panelists on the tension between artistic expression, freedom of speech, and social responsibility. They look at the impact that TV, music and the movies have on young people, the police, and public attitudes toward society in general, as they debate who decides what is popular culture, who produces it, who it influences, and the responsibilities of those who do produce it.

Host, Fred W. Friendly ; moderator, Charles J. Ogletree ; debate participants, Richard Dreyfuss, Mark Clark, Barney Frank, Michael Franti, Jeff Ayeroff, David Harleston, Nadine Strossen, Deborah Prothrow-Stith, Henry Hyde, Grant Tinker, Richard Wolf, Terry Rakolta. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2000. 58 min. Video/C 7287

Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy

With nearly 25 years in the adult film industry and over 1,600 films to his name, Ron Jeremy is huge. He's made millions of dollars and slept with thousands of beautiful women and is undisputably the industry's biggest star. Classically unhandsome, big and harry, he is a pop icon to millions.2001. 76 min. DVD 1662

Pornography: The Double Message.

An analysis of the effect of pornography and violent sex in films on the youth in Toronto. Comments on the types of censorship in Sweden, and England, and the lack of it in the United States. 1985. 39 min. Video/C 1445

Pornography: The Secret History of Civilization.

"From the walls of Pompeii to the Internet...2,000 years of sex." A hard hitting in-depth look at the history of pornography and its evolution through the advancement of technology. Featuring unprecedented access into the modern adult industry, this extensive program illuminates how pornography has been used, distributed and censored. c2006. 312 min. DVD 5239

The Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality & Relationships

Once relegated to the margins of society, pornography has emerged as one of the most visible and profitable sectors of the cultural industries, assuming an unprecedented role in the mainstream of our popular culture at the same time that its content has become more extreme and harsh, more overtly sexist and racist. The film moves beyond the liberal versus conservative debates so common in the culture to paint a myth-busting and nuanced portrait of how pleasure and pain, commerce and power, liberty and responsibility have become intertwined in the most intimate areas of our lives. Special features: "blurred" version of the film (edited for the classroom); "Chomsky on pornography" featurette (4 min.); "Donkey punch" featurette (2 min.). Produced and directed by Miguel Picker & Chyng Sun. 2008. 56 min. DVD X2118

Description from Media Education Foundation catalog

The Public Mind.

Host, Bill Moyers. Pt. 1. Consuming images / producer, director, writer, Gail Pellett -- Pt. 2. Leading questions / producer, Leslie Clark ; writers, Leslie Clark, Andie Tucher -- Pt. 3. Illusions of news / producer, director, writer, Richard M. Cohen -- Pt. 4. The truth about lies. Examines the impact on democracy of our mass culture whose basic information comes from image-making, the media, public opinion polls, public relations and propaganda. 1989. 60 min. Video/C 1441

The Quirky Collection. (ITN/Reuters Stock Footage Library)

Features the sort of outrageous stories frequently used at the end of news broadcasts. Clips include a school for Santas, a pilot who literally flies blind, the World Worm-Charming Championships, crossing the Atlantic by pedal boat, bungee-jumping at Victoria Falls, underwater hockey, the Juggling Olympics, the world series of Monopoly, world female boxing champ, a 6 yr. old golf whiz, a parachutist who survived a 200 ft. fall, a motorcycle stuntman, Vicars self-defense course, hot coals walkers, a cave house in England, and many wonderful and amazing curiousities concerning animals, birds and household pets. c2000. 63 min. Video/C 7735

The Radio Priest (American Experience).

Profile of Father Charles Coughlin, whose Depression-era radio speeches and the popular following they inspired led to a nationwide debate over the use of the airwaves for antidemocratic messages.

c1988. 58 min. Video/C 1533

The Reel World of News (A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers).

Looks at newsreels, a unique 20th century institution. For over 50 years newsreels informed and entertained whole generations until their demise in the mid-1960's with the advance oftelevised nightly newscasts. 1984. 58 min. Video/C 754

Right On!: Poetry on Film.

During 1968 on the hot streets of New York a trio of young black performers, calling themselves The Original Last Poets, were creating a hip new form of guerilla poetry woven of soul, jazz, the blues and gospel. Today they are credited as the tap-root artists of Rap. This film, set on the rooftops and backalleys of the Lower East Side, presents the trio in the full range of performance from satire and power to tenderness and affirmation. 199?. 73 min. Video/C 3403

The Rise & Fall of the Borscht Belt.

A documentary work of social history comprising reminiscences of the longtime patrons and proprietors in the Borscht Belt. Includes original footage, vintage photographs, and home movies dating back to the area's earliest days. 1998. 90 min. Video/C 2001

Road Scholar.

Satirical poet, Andrei Codrescu takes a six week, 4,500 mile odyssey across America in a cherry-red '68 Cadillac convertible. From the Statue of Liberty to the Golden Gate he makes impromptu detours along theway in search of a nation's heart and soul, meeting an unforgettable assortment of Americans from across the country. Andrei's odyssey is a delightful, ironic and vividly drawn portrait of America in all of its confounding diversity. Based on Codrescu's book of the same time (Morrison Rm E169.O4.C63 1993; Bancroft E169.O4.C63 1993 Non-circulating; may be used only in The Bancroft Library). 1995. 82 min. Video/C 4329

Rock Fresh.

Examines the world of the graffiti artist including interviews with nine top artists. Looks at the evolution of graffiti art--from the street to the gallery, from walls to clothing, from private to worldwide. The cameras reveal step-by-step how the colors blend, how the angles sharpen, how the shadows emerge, lifting the veil from a clandestine subculture. Produced, written, & edited by Danny Lee. c2005. 82 min. DVD X264

Route 66: The Ultimate DVD Collection

In A journey down Route 66 and Route 66 revisited, host Michael Wallis gives a personal tour of the highway, interviewing people as he travels the historic road from Chicago to Los Angeles, and showing special attractions including tourist spots, quaint towns and historically significant locations. In Route 66 turns 75, Michael Wallis hits the road again reporting on what remains and what's changed along the highway. Disc 1. A journey down Route 66 -- Disc 2. Route 66 revisited -- Disc 3. Route 66 turns 75, a special celebration. 2006. 190 min. DVD 5679

Sex, Ties and Lots of Videotapes

A look at the Los Angeles' most successful porn companies, including how highend porn is produced, how the business is carried out, both on the sets and at the distribution level, and how much money is spent and earned. Includes excerpts from such directors as Michael Ninn, Philip Mond and James Avalon, with a concluding statement by Larry Flynt. A documentary by Audrey Brohy and Gerard Ungerman. 2006. 24 min. Video/C MM1004

Stations of the Elevated.

An astonishingly beautiful film about graffiti-covered subway trains hurtling through a strange urban landscape filled with the debris of a decaying society. The music of Charles Mingus counterpoints the recurring visual riffs of the tension-filled imagery. c1990. 45 min. Video/C 3169

Style Wars.

A documentary exploration of the subculture of New York's young graffiti writers and breakdancers, showing their activities and aspirations and the social and aesthetic controversies surrounding New York graffiti. Dramatizes conflicts between graffitists and the city, as well as among the graffitists themselves. c1983.60 min. Video/C 2127

Description from New Day Films catalog

To Be Seen: Street Art

Documentary on street art and the cultural and political significance of this form of artistic expression. The subculture of street art is significant because it is an embodiment of subversive content and a form of public expression, a form of media and a means of political and social protest. Integrates interviews with street artists and others, looking at who is making street art and why, and also investigates the public's perception of this work. 2006. 30 min. DVD 5143

Description from First Run/Icarus catalog

This Film Not Yet Rated

Kirby Dick's provocative film investigates the secretive and inconsistent process by which the Motion Picture Association of America rates films. Kirby looks at some of the controversial rating decisions of the past four decades, hires private eyes to find out who these anonymous raters are and puts his own film through the rating process. 2006. 98 min. DVD 6868

Trekkies

Beam up to a galaxy where autograph hounds abound and the debate over "Trekkies" vs. "Trekkers" rages on. Interviews with hundreds of devoted fans and Star Trek cast members creates an entertaining and endearing portrait of the landmark series. A film by Roger Nygard. 1999. 86 min. DVD 6875

Tupperware!

The Tupperware empire began with the unlikely partnership of Earl Silas Tupper, a reclusive small-town inventor, and Brownie Wise, a self-taught marketing whiz. Wise showed American women how to start up their own businesses -- based in their kitchens. Rare archival footage of Tupperware parties, annual Tupperware Jubilees, and home movies are interwoven with the thoughtful, often humorous recollections of Tupperware salespeople and executives who experienced firsthand the company's meteoric rise. c2004. 65 min. DVD 5577

The Twenties (A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers).

Usually seen as an age of speakeasies, flappers and high living, the 1920's also saw millions of workers struggling for better wages. This program explores this decade when old America was vanishing and a new urban nation was being formed. Includes reminiscences of Americans who lived during this period. 1983. 58 min. Video/C 807

Twist Barbie: Lynn Spigel Dreams of Plastic Feminism

Lynn Spigel discusses the historical, cultural and social aspects of the Barbie doll phenomenon, while displaying a wide variety of Barbie dolls, apparel and accessaries. Dist. Paper Tiger Television. 1994. 27 min. Video/C MM1216

Video Encyclopedia of the 20th Century.

A visual collection of primary source material culled from film or videotape of history as it occurred. There is no added commentary, music or sound effects. Video/D 6 videodisc 1-42

Vintage Burlesque Strippers Films

Stripper: Famous dancer -- Afromood burlesque -- Co-ed secrets stag film -- Blonde stag film -- Brunette -- Cherry Knight -- Malibu Mermaid [with Adele Doleman] -- Indian love burlesque -- Sheree tiger dance -- Peeping Toms paradise -- Two girl hitchhikers -- Two bells from Virginia -- Chinese joy dance -- Nora -- Betty Howard -- Sandra Storm -- Red-headed riot -- Roxie -- Variety girls -- Dance of desire -- Dance of the doves -- Georgia Southern -- Yvonne Marthay -- Hot number -- Fighten femmes of France. Presents 25 film shorts gleaned from 80 years of vintage erotica of yesteryear featuring nude strippers, burlesque dancers, and stag party crashers. DVD 9761

What do People Do Downtown?

A few examples of downtown areas (Main Street) are examined, and suggestions are offered to reestablish the downtown area once again as the center of activity. c1985. 25 min. Video/C 1457

Wigstock, The Movie.

An up close and behind the scenes look at the annual transvestite rock n' roll mega-gathering known as Wigstock. Performer: RuPaul, The Lady Bunny, Lypsinka, Deee-Lite, Crystal Waters, John Kelly, Alexis Arquette, Jackie Beat. 1995. 82 min. Video/C 4173

Write and Unite

"Write and Unite" presents the world's greatest graffitti artists live in action. From subways to huge productions, street bombing to organized events, never before has there been such a complete, global documentation of today's top aerosolists and their work." 2004. 70 min. DVD 4406

To the top

Fairs and Other Public Amusements

General and Misc. | Disneyland | 1893 Chicago | 1904 St. Louis | 1915 San Francisco | 1933-34 Chicago | 1939-1940 San Francisco | 1939-1940 New York | 1962 Chicago | 1962 Seattle
| 1964-65 New York

General and Miscellaneous

Circus Freaks and Sideshows

Documentary examining the history of exhibiting human curiosities, from its origins in 1840s American Dime Museums to Amusement Park side-shows and circus spectacles of the sideshow, from P.T. Barnum's American Museum which featured every variety of human oddity to the last remaining sideshows at Coney Island. Looks at the exploitation of deformed/disfigured individuals vs. entertainment value and public demand. Includes commentary by historians with archival footage. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television series "History's mysteries" on the History Channel in 2000. 44 min. DVD 6857

City of the Dead and The World Exhibitions (Lettres du caire)

Examines the definition of civilization in Islamic countries and the various influences and perceptions of their culture by European nations and the Americas with particular focus on the City of the dead in Cairo and the "exhibition" of foreign peoples at world's fairs. A film by Julian Samuel. 1995. 91 min. DVD 7403 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 5281

Come to the Fairs (Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers).

A survey of America's World Fairs beginning with the first one held in Chicago in 1893. Discusses how fairs have changed in recent years. 1984. 58 min. Video/C 828

Coney Island.

Weaving rare archival photographs and dazzling newsreel footage with on-screen interviews this documentary discusses the history and significance of Coney Island from the mid 1800's to the late 1900's and its three great amusement parks, Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and Dreamland. Directed by Ric Burns. 1991. 68 min. DVD 5613; vhs Video/C 6834

The Couple in the Cage: a Guatinaui Odyssey

Directed and produced by Coco Fusco and Paula Heredia; Performers: Guillermo Gomez-Penña, Coco Fusco. Color sequences of the display in various museums of performance artists portraying an aboriginal couple from Gautinau (a fictional island off the coast of Mexico) are contrasted with archival footage and still photographs showing various occasions when indigenous persons were put on public display at circuses, sideshows and the like. Emphasis is placed on the response of the people viewing the Gautinaui couple. c1993. 31 min. DVD 6865; vhs Video/C 4785

A Fair to Remember

A cultural excursion through an American county fair, the Broward County Fair in Dade County, Florida. Includes interviews with fair personnel, daredevil entertainers, visitors to the fair, a children's beauty contest, animal exhibitions and races, rides, entertainments and fun. 1995. 27 min. Video/C 5835

On Cannibalism

King Kong meets the family photograph in this provocatively ironic video which explores the West's insatiable appetite for native bodies in museums, world's fairs and early films. A personal narrative about race and identity by an Indonesian-American videographer of Batak- Palembang descent. 1994. 6 min. Video/C 9723

Women Make Movies catalog description

Savage Acts.

American Social History Productions. Using political cartoons, animations, documentary film and excerpts from diaries, examines American imperialism, expansionist policies and wars at the beginning of the 20th century. Special focus on the American annexation of the Philippine Islands and racial attitudes portrayed in the World's Fairs of 1893, 1901 and 1904. 1995. 30 min. Video/C 4129.

SideShow: Alive on the Inside

A documentary about the disappearing world of the travelling sideshow. Weaves together archival footage, personal scrapbooks, and interviews with the performers to present the human side behind the performers' unusual acts and reveals what life was like inside and outside of the sideshows. Includes footage of some of the strangest attractions including entertainers with unusual deformities and some of the bizarre traditions in this unique world. 1996 TLC documentary. 104 min. DVD 6858

World's Fair & Exposition Films

Documentary films of various world fairs and expositions featuring the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939), the Chicago World's Fair (1962), the World Expo in Montreal, Canada (1967), the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, and the Opening of Treasure Island, among others. Universal newsreel, March 17th 1958 (1 min.) -- Golden Gate International Exposition (1939, 3 films: 8 min, 10 min., 10 min.) -- Century 21 calling (1962 Seattle World's Fair) (14 min.) -- Century of Progress: International Exposition, Chicago (1933, 13 min.) -- Chicago World's Fair (1933, 13 min.) -- Dead Fair (Golden Gate Exposition, 1940) (1 min.) -- Universal newsreel, May 2nd 1967: Expo 67 "Monument to Man" (Canada, 2 min.) -- Farewell to Treasure Island (1940, 3 min.) -- Frisco Fair/Pacific Northwest (1939, 18 min.) -- Golden Gate Bridge (1939, 11 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 2 films: 5 min, 8 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (Revisited), (1940s, 11 min.) -- San Francisco World's Fair (1939, 10 min.) -- Story of Jewel City (1915, 9 min.) -- Treasure Island (1939, 10 min.) DVD 5828

Disneyland

The Disneyland Anthology

The Disneyland story (10/27/54) -- A Day in the life of Donald Duck (2/1/56) -- Along the Oregon trail (11/14/56) -- The Crisler story/Prowlers of the Everglades (2/17/57) -- Adventures in fantasy (11/6/57) -- Mars and beyond (12/4/57) Disneyland story: At the Disney Studios, Walt Disney gives a sneak peek of a model of then-under-construction Disneyland Park. Day in the life of Donald Duck: With a little help from Walt Disney, Jimmie Dodd and the Mouseketeers, go behind the scenes for a look at one adventurous day for Donald Duck. Along the Oregon Trail: A dramatization of life as it was 100 years ago with Fess Parker and Sebastian Cabot presenting the action. The Crisler Story/Prowlers of the Everglades: Travel with Herb and Lois Crisler in Alaska as they film the feature White Wilderness and then travel south to visit an alligator swamp. Adventures in fantasy: A journey into animation which reveals how ordinary things can be transformed into "living" characters. Mars and Beyond: Investigates and predicts in 1957 what man might find if he were to land on Mars. 315 min. DVD 9953 [preservation copy]; Video Disc 186

Disneyland USA

Disc 1. The Disneyland story -- Dateline Disneyland. -- Disc 2. Disneyland after dark -- Disneyland tenth anniversary show. Take a look back at the origins of the Disneyland Park, beginning with the very first episode of the Disneyland TV series, as Walt Disney leads a tour of the studio and lifts the curtain on a model of the under-construction Disneyland Park. Relive the magic with hosts Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings and Ronald Reagan at the live opening day celebration and follow Walt as he takes viewers on a tour of Disneyland when the lights go off. Entertainment includes Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis, Jr., Fess Parker, Annette Funicello, the Osmond Brothers and many more Disney legends. 228 min. DVD 945

The Monsanto House of the Future

Straight from 1957 a very rare film on the fantastic Monsanto House of the future located in Tomorrowland in Disneyland! The film was produced by Monsanto Chemical Company, a manufacturer of plastics and contains the full story of the Monsanto house with a walk through the house and a description of the life of a typical "future family." Focus is on the many uses of plastics throughout the house. Originally produced in 1957 by Monsanto Chemical Company. 12 min. DVD 9409

Your Host, Walt Disney: TV Memories, 1956-1965

Disc 1: (1956) Where do stories come from? (1956) -- Fourth anniversary show (1957) -- Kodak presents Disneyland '59 (1959) -- Galleries -- My Dad, Walt Disney. -- Disc 2: Backstage party (1961) -- Disneyland tenth anniversary show (1965) -- I captured the king of the Leprechauns -- Disneyland USA at Radio City Music Hall -- Working with Walt. Host, Walt Disney ; film introductions, Leonard Maltin. Celebrate Walt Disney with this look back at several of the most memorable hours from his groundbreaking television shows. Join Walt as he celebrates the rededication of Disneyland with a parade of celebrities and guest stars; the fourth anniversary of his weekly show featuring a surprise party arranged by the Mouseketeers; and a tenth anniversary program showcasing some of his talented imagineers at work. And in a rare interview, Diane Disney Miller shares warm and personal memmories of growing up with her famous dad. DVD 7468

1893 Chicago World's Fair (World's Columbian Exposition)

World Columbian Exposition: Ideas, Experience, Aftermath

Expo: Magic of the White City

Narrated by Gene Wilder, this documentary brings the Chicago World's Fair to life. Experience the world of 1893 through a cinematic visit to Chicago's Columbian Exposition where viewers are immersed in one of the world's biggest extravaganzas. Besides the latest achievements in science and technology before the turn of the century fairgoers also enjoyed camel riding and guilty pleasures like belly dancing, street fighting and beer drinking. Special features: Feature-length commentary track with World's fair historian, David Cope; featurettes: Making the Fair -- Art of the Fair -- Pictures of the Fair -- Storyboards of the Fair ; commentary tracks on special features by director, Mark Bussler and writer, Brian Connelly ; deleted scenes ; theatrical trailers for Gettysburg and stories of valor, Johnstown flood, horses of Gettysburg, winters of war, shot to pieces and Civil War minutes - Confederate. 2005. 116 min. DVD 4413

1904 St. Louis World's Fair (Louisiana Purchase International Exposition)

Missouri Historical Society website

Bontoc Eulogy

A personal and poignant docu-drama that examines the Filipino experience at the 1904 St. Louis World's fair. The film focuses on the filmmaker's grandfather, an Igorot warrior, one of the 1,100 tribal natives displayed as anthropological 'specimens' in the Philippine village exhibit. A unique fusion of rare archival images, verite, and carefully orchestrated visual sequences shot in the present, the film is an innovative investigation of history, memory and the spectacle of the "other" in the turn-of-the-century America. A film by Marlon Fuentes. Dist. Cinema Guild. 56 min. DVD 8781; vhs Video/C 4168 (also as a second feature on Video/C 4393).

Review of Savage Acts from the H-Net Review Project

H-Net Review Project

Blumentritt, Mia. "'Bontac Eulogy', history and the craft of memory.(Essays into American Empire in the Philippines special issue)(Interview)." Amerasia Journal (Winter 1998): 75(1).

Feng, Peter X. "The Camera as Microscope: Cinema and Ethnographic Discourse." In: Identities in motion : Asian American film and videoDurham [N.C.]: Duke University Press, c2002. (MAIN: PN1995.9.A77 F46 2002)

Fuentes, Marlon. "Extracts from an Imaginary Interview: Questions and Answers about Bontoc Eulogy." In: F is for phony : fake documentary and truth's undoing / Alexandra Juhasz and Jesse Lerner, editors. Minneapolis : University of Minnesota Press, c2006. (Main Stack PN1995.9.D62.F3 2006; PFA PN1995.9.D62.F3 2006)

Homiak, John P. "The Body in the Archives: A Review of Bontoc Eulogy." American Anthropologist Dec 2000, Vol. 102, No. 4: 887-891. UC users only

Knaller, Susanne. "Scattered Voices. Some Remarks on a Narrative Theory of Postcolonial Storytelling.(Critical Essay)." The Germanic Review 74.2 (Spring 1999): 99.UC users only

Manalo, Caroline. "The little brown brother I never knew: History or his story." Heritage Spring96, Vol. 10 Issue 1, p38, 2p UC users only

Rony, Fatimah Tobing. "The quick and the dead: surrealism and the found ethnographic footage films of Bontoc Eulogy and Mother Dao: the Turtlelike." Camera Obscura (May 2003): 128(29). UC users only

Ota Benga: A Pygmy in America

This documentary relates one of the saddest episodes in the history of American racism when a pygmy, Ota Benga, was taken from the Congo in 1904 and subsequently exhibited at the St. Louis World's Fair and the Bronx Zoo. Features archival film and animation, and one sequence filmed in color in 1999. c2002. 17 min. Video/C 9316

Savage Acts.

American Social History Productions. Using political cartoons, animations, documentary film and excerpts from diaries, examines American imperialism, expansionist policies and wars at the beginning of the 20th century. Special focus on the American annexation of the Philippine Islands and racial attitudes portrayed in the World's Fairs of 1893, 1901 and 1904. 1995. 30 min. Video/C 4129.

A World on Display: The St. Louis World's Fair of 1904.

Uses first-person accounts of elderly Missourians who went to the Fair, interviews with historians, archival motion pictures, and photographs to situate the St. Louis Fair in the social, political, and cultural context of American society at the turn of the century. The Fair's organizers also brought more than 2,000 indigenous peoples to St. Louis to live in supposedly authentic villages, illustrating the social Darwinism of the time. c1994. 53 min. Video/C 4181

The World's Greatest Fair

Documentary on the 1904 World's Fair in Saint Louis, where 12 million visitors on a 1200-acre site, marveled at scientific inventions such as the motion picture, tape recorder, and telephone and cultural exhibits of villages literally transplanted from around the globe; and enjoyed a mile-long carnival midway which boasted the first, and to this day, the largest Ferris Wheel. In addition, the St. Louis Fair was host to the 1904 Olympics, the first held in the United States. Includes extensive archival images and interviews with famous St. Louis natives like Ozzie Smith, Stan Musial, Joe Buck and mayor Francis Slay. Produced and directed by Scott Huegerich and Bob Miano. c2004. 119. DVD 6025

1915 San Francisco World's Fair (Panama-Pacific International Exposition)

Panama-Pacific Exposition website

Historic San Francisco Worlds Fair, 1915.

Films packed with footage from the Worlds Fair, San Francisco 1915, including architecture, music, dancing, aerials, parades, speeches, water works, night footage, an early airplane flight, a hot air balloon ride and landing, and more. Contents: Panama Pacific International Exhibition footage (1915, 5 min.) -- Panama Pacific International Exhibition footage (1915, 8 min.) -- The story of Jewel City (1915, 9 min.) -- Panama Pacific International Exhibition footage (1915, 10 min.) -- San Francisco Worlds Fair (1915, 10 min.) DVD 8291

Historical World Fairs. San Francisco.

Amazingly, just nine years after the devastating earthquake of 1906, San Francisco staged the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal. The city went on to host another fair in 1939, the Golden Gate International Exposition, this time to celebrate the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge. Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 13 min.) -- Opening of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 9 min.) -- Golden Gate Bridge (amateur film, 1939, 30 min.) -- Dead fair / produced by Telenews (1940, 2 min.) -- Farewell to Treasure Island / produced by Ken Allen (1940, 3 min.) -- Story of Jewel City [1906 earthquake] / produced by Exposition Players Corporation (1915, 9 min.) -- Treasure Island / produced by Arthur E. Howard (1939, 10 min.) -- Frisco Fair/Pacific Northwest (amateur film, 1939, 17 min.) -- California: Golden Gate International Exposition (1939, 8 min.) -- Panama Pacific International Exposition / produced by Frank W. Vail (1940, 10 min.) 119 min. DVD 4844

Panama Pacific Fair: 1915

Celebrating the completion of the Panama Canal the year before, the Panama Pacific International Exposition opened in San Francisco on February 20, 1915. Covering 635 acres, it ran for nine and a half months. This documentary tells its story along with footage of other world's fairs, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and a short film made to publicize the 1915 fair. 28 min. Video/C 4750

World's Fair & Exposition Films

Documentary films of various world fairs and expositions featuring the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939), the Chicago World's Fair (1962), the World Expo in Montreal, Canada (1967), the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, and the Opening of Treasure Island, among others. Universal newsreel, March 17th 1958 (1 min.) -- Golden Gate International Exposition (1939, 3 films: 8 min, 10 min., 10 min.) -- Century 21 calling (1962 Seattle World's Fair) (14 min.) -- Century of Progress: International Exposition, Chicago (1933, 13 min.) -- Chicago World's Fair (1933, 13 min.) -- Dead Fair (Golden Gate Exposition, 1940) (1 min.) -- Universal newsreel, May 2nd 1967: Expo 67 "Monument to Man" (Canada, 2 min.) -- Farewell to Treasure Island (1940, 3 min.) -- Frisco Fair/Pacific Northwest (1939, 18 min.) -- Golden Gate Bridge (1939, 11 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 2 films: 5 min, 8 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (Revisited), (1940s, 11 min.) -- San Francisco World's Fair (1939, 10 min.) -- Story of Jewel City (1915, 9 min.) -- Treasure Island (1939, 10 min.) DVD 5828

1933-34 Chicago World's Fair (Century of Progress International Exposition)

University of Chicago web site

Films from the Century of Progress Exhibition via the Internet Moving Image Archive

Century of Progress: International Exposition, Chicago

Two films 13 min. each DVD 5828

Classic Chicago Worlds Fair Films

Century of Progress Exposition Wings of a Century: Great footage from the fair including dinosaurs, an escape artist exhibition, architecture, and the hall of science. Chicago World's Fair (1933-34): General scenes from around the fair including a submarine, a temple, aerial views and more. DVD 9234

Historical World Fairs.

Century of progress [Chicago] (1934?, 13 min.) -- Chicago World's fair (amateur film, 1933, 9 min.) -- New York World's Fair (amateur film, 1939, 30 min.) -- Century 21 calling [Seattle] / produced by Telenews (1940, 2 min.) Presents the tale of three cities -- Chicago, New York and Seattle through the historical world's fairs these cities hosted. 61 min. DVD 4843

Films from the Century of Progress Exhibition via the Internet Moving Image Archive

World's Fair Archival Video.

Ford and a century of progress provides a full overview of the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair, including the Sky Ride, Enchanted Isle, Tunisian Village, Wings of a Century pageant, Ford Exposition, the Rotunda, historic cars, Avenue of Flags, World's Biggest Thermometer, G.M. and Chrysler pavillions, Midget City, and the Federal Building. 1933's focus was a look backward, while 1934 looked forward. Scenes from the New York World's Fair contains scenes of the New York World's Fair of 1940, showing the Trylon and Perisphere, sculpture and fountains, pavillions (U.S. Government, Westinghouse, Goodrich, Chrysler, G.M.), the Ford Exposition Building, Walter Dorwin Teague's Garden Court, Albert Kahn's Road of Tomorrow, the "Great White Way" and the amusement section. c1991. 29 min. Video/C 4182

1939-1940 San Francisco World's Fair (Golden Gate International Exposition)

Golden Gate International Exposition web site

1939 Worlds Fair San Francisco Films

(1) Dead Fair (1940, 2 min.) -- (2) Golden Gate International Exposition (1940, 19 min.) -- (3) Farewell To Treasure Island (1940, 3 min.) -- (4) Golden Gate International Exposition (1940, 8 min.) -- (5) Treasure Island (1939, 9 min.) -- (6) Frisco Fair (1940, 17 min.) DVD 9233

The Golden Gate International Exposition, Treasure Island, San Francisco Bay, 1939-1940.

Two silent documentary films exploring the sights of the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939-1940. The first film is in black and white, with English subtitles and covers hightlights of the fair. The second untitled newsreel is in color and also examines the sights at the fair closing with spectacular photos of the fair at night illuminated by colored lights. 199?. 38 min. Video/C 4183

Amateur films from the Golden Gate Exhibition via the Internet Moving Image Archive

Golden Gate International Exposition, 1939-1940 World's Fair

Explores the sights of the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939-1940. To celebrate the opening of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, San Francisco threw a glorious party on the newly constructed Treasure Island, including a wonderland of buildings in the new art deco style. Young Andy Pagano was on hand to film the fair, also dubbed "The Pageant of the Pacific." Alameda, CA: Alameda Museum, 2004. 23 min. DVD 3993

Amateur films from the Golden Gate Exhibition via the Internet Moving Image Archive

Golden Gate International Exposition

3 films: 8 min, 10 min., 10 min. DVD 5828

Historical World Fairs. San Francisco.

Amazingly, just nine years after the devastating earthquake of 1906, San Francisco staged the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal. The city went on to host another fair in 1939, the Golden Gate International Exposition, this time to celebrate the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge. Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 13 min.) -- Opening of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 9 min.) -- Golden Gate Bridge (amateur film, 1939, 30 min.) -- Dead fair / produced by Telenews (1940, 2 min.) -- Farewell to Treasure Island / produced by Ken Allen (1940, 3 min.) -- Story of Jewel City [1906 earthquake] / produced by Exposition Players Corporation (1915, 9 min.) -- Treasure Island / produced by Arthur E. Howard (1939, 10 min.) -- Frisco Fair/Pacific Northwest (amateur film, 1939, 17 min.) -- California: Golden Gate International Exposition (1939, 8 min.) -- Panama Pacific International Exposition / produced by Frank W. Vail (1940, 10 min.) 119 min. DVD 4844

San Francisco World's Fair in 1939

News Parade newsreel footage of the San Francisco World's Fair in 1939, the Golden Gate International Exposition. The fair was intended to celebrate the opening of two bridges, the Golden Gate and the Bay Bridge. It was held on Treasure Island.

San Francisco World's Fair Online Video (via Internet Moving Image Archive)

World's Fair & Exposition Films

Documentary films of various world fairs and expositions featuring the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939), the Chicago World's Fair (1962), the World Expo in Montreal, Canada (1967), the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, and the Opening of Treasure Island, among others. Universal newsreel, March 17th 1958 (1 min.) -- Golden Gate International Exposition (1939, 3 films: 8 min, 10 min., 10 min.) -- Century 21 calling (1962 Seattle World's Fair) (14 min.) -- Century of Progress: International Exposition, Chicago (1933, 13 min.) -- Chicago World's Fair (1933, 13 min.) -- Dead Fair (Golden Gate Exposition, 1940) (1 min.) -- Universal newsreel, May 2nd 1967: Expo 67 "Monument to Man" (Canada, 2 min.) -- Farewell to Treasure Island (1940, 3 min.) -- Frisco Fair/Pacific Northwest (1939, 18 min.) -- Golden Gate Bridge (1939, 11 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 2 films: 5 min, 8 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (Revisited), (1940s, 11 min.) -- San Francisco World's Fair (1939, 10 min.) -- Story of Jewel City (1915, 9 min.) -- Treasure Island (1939, 10 min.) DVD 5828

1939-1940 New York World's Fair

The Iconography of Hope: The 1939-1940 New York World's Fair

Historic World's Fair Films, New York, 1939-1940.

Extensive high quality amateur films (primarily in color) covering all aspects of the Worlds Fair. Includes footage of Aquacade, Futurama and "Spirit of the Fountain" featuring highlights such as: Aquaboy Johnny Weismuller, Morris Gest Midget Town, Bill Robinson's "big hit," W.P.A Puppeteers, x-rated live models on "magazine covers," plus daylight and torchlight parades, performances, dancing exhibitions, status, murals, flags and gardens and fountains at the fair. Disc 1: World's Fair, August, 1940 (si, col., 4 min.): This film highlights the New York Worlds Fair in August of 1940. It shows the Ford Building, the Electrical Building, the Japanese building, a parade, the City of Light and several other exhibits. New York World's Fair, 1939-40 (1939, si., col.) A 30 minute tour of the World of Tomorrow. To new Horizons (1940, si, 23 min.) This film documents General Motor's contribution to the worlds fair - GMs Futurama exhibit in its Highways and Horizons pavillion. It showcases the wonderful future world of 1960. Closing day of the 1940 N.Y. World's Fair (si., col, 13 min.) Also includes 2 untitled films (si., b&w and col., 37 min.) Discs 2-4: Medicus collection: New York World's Fair, 1939-40 (si. with English intertitles, col., 6 hours): These 3 DVDs explore every facet of the Worlds Fair from the perspective of one of its visitors. Medicus painstakingly documented his entire experience at the fair and produced this wonderful work that spans 6 hours. In that time, he truly captures all the wonder and majesty of the fair. Presents a complete tour of all the exhibits, rides, attractions, primary shows and impromotu street shows that were part of the everyday excitement of this unique fair. DVD 9232

Historical World Fairs. New York.

New York World's Fair (Reel 1) / produced by P. Medicus (1939, 63 min.) -- New York World's Fair (Reel 2) / produced by P. Medicus ( 1939, 52 min.) Reel 1: Shows outdoor stage shows, dancing girls, a strongman, overweight dancers, flappers and Keystone Cops, jugglers, balancing acts, topless women posing as magazine covers and much more. Reel 2: Shows sideshow barkers, Salvador Dali's "Dream of Venus" walk through funhouse, amusement rides, strip shows, parachute drop, wild-west rodeos, bands and many other attractions that made the fair a memorable experience. 120 min. DVD 4829

Historical World Fairs II. New York.

New York World's Fair (Reel 3) / produced by P. Medicus (1939, 54 min.) -- New York World's Fair (Reel 4) / produced by P. Medicus ( 1939, 57 min.) Reel 3: Presents displays at the "World of Tomorrow" fair, focusing on various themes such as the gas and electricity industry, parades, contemporary art, sculpture, musical fountains and puppetry. The footage of Hollywood star Jane Withers' visit to the fair is also included. Reel 4: Takes a pictorial tour of the fair and captures the activities and displays at the Belgian and Russian Pavilions. Also featured is the General Motors "Futurama" ride, which showcased the world, as it was expected to look after twenty years. 116 min. DVD 4830

Historical World Fairs III. New York.

New York World's Fair (Reel 5) / produced by P. Medicus (1939, 51 min.) -- New York World's Fair (Reel 6) / produced by P. Medicus ( 1939, 63 min.) Reel 5: Shows various displays including sections on food, home furnishings, communication, religion and jewels. Clips of the mechanical circus display are also presented along with footage of murals, the cactus garden, the lily pond, and the electric farm with its automatic milking machines. Reel 6: Captures various sidelights at the fair with statues, murals, flags, flowers and fairgoers engaged in a variety of activities. The highlights of the film are the visit of the French Ambassador and the King and Queen of Engand. 123 min. DVD 4831

Historical World Fairs IV. New York.

The world's fair (amateur film, 1939, 5 min.) -- Wathen Collection: New York World's Fair (amateur film, 1939, 28 min.) -- To new horizons / produced by Jam Handy Organization ; sponsored by General Motors Corporation (1940, 14 min) -- Unisphere: the biggest world on Earth / produced by MPO Productions, Inc., ; sponsored by U.S. Steel Co. (1964, 14 min.) -- 1964 New York World's Fair report / John Campbell Films Inc. (1961, 27 min.) -- To the Fair / produced by Association films, Inc. (1965, 26 min.) Presents three films focusing on the 1939-1940 World's Fair which was created to raise the spirits of Americans who were still affected by the Great Depression. Also includes three films focusing on the 1964-1965 World's Fair which was held at a time when the U.S. was riding a wave of optimism. It was an age when Americans were eagerly looking forward to putting a man on the moon, to the promise of the computer age and a nuclear program for peaceful purposes. The Fair was based on two themes: "Man's achievements in an expanding universe" and "A millennium of progress." 122 min. DVD 4832

Amateur films from the NY World's Fair via the Internet Moving Image Archive

The Middleton Family at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Tour the fair and see the robots, "Moto-man" and Elektro". Don't miss the Battle of the Centuries (woman vs. dishwasher), the microvivatium, the junior science laboratories, and the television show. You'll be amazed in the Hall of Power and the Hall of Electrical Living. All this is intertwined with the story of the Middleton family and Babs, who has a boyfriend with Marxist/socialist leanings. c1994. 55 min. Video/C 4799

Middleton Family Online Video (via Internet Moving Image Archive)

New York Worlds Fair, Historic World's Fair Films, New York, 1939-1940

Presents a complete tour of all the exhibits, rides, attractions, primary shows and impromotu street shows that were part of the everyday excitement of this unique fair. Contents: Extensive high quality amateur films (primarily in color) covering all aspects of the Worlds Fair. Includes footage of Aquacade, Futurama and "Spirit of the Fountain" featuring highlights such as: Aquaboy Johnny Weismuller, Morris Gest Midget Town, Bill Robinson's "big hit," W.P.A Puppeteers, x-rated live models on "magazine covers," plus daylight and torchlight parades, performances, dancing exhibitions, status, murals, flags and gardens and fountains at the fair. Disc 1: World's Fair, August, 1940 (si, col., 4 min.): This film highlights the New York Worlds Fair in August of 1940. It shows the Ford Building, the Electrical Building, the Japanese building, a parade, the City of Light and several other exhibits. New York World's Fair, 1939-40 (1939, si., col.) A 30 minute tour of the World of Tomorrow. To new Horizons (1940, si, 23 min.) This film documents General Motor's contribution to the worlds fair - GMs Futurama exhibit in its Highways and Horizons pavillion. It showcases the wonderful future world of 1960. Closing day of the 1940 N.Y. World's Fair (si., col, 13 min.) Also includes 2 untitled films (si., b&w and col., 37 min.) Discs 2-4: Medicus collection: New York World's Fair, 1939-40 (si. with English intertitles, col., 6 hours): These 3 DVDs explore every facet of the Worlds Fair from the perspective of one of its visitors. Medicus painstakingly documented his entire experience at the fair and produced this wonderful work that spans 6 hours. In that time, he truly captures all the wonder and majesty of the fair. DVD 9232

New York World's Fair: The World of Tomorrow, 1939

Presents nine films of sights from the 1939 New York World's Fair. "Leave it to Roll-Oh" features robots doing housework. "To new horizons" features futuristic cars traveling on far-out superhighways from the Futurama exhibit of GM's "Highways and Horizons" pavilion. The remaining films are high quality amateur films (primarily in color) dealing with the goings-on at the fair. Disc 1. Leave it to Roll-oh (1940, b&w, sound, 8 min.) -- To new horizons / producer, Jam Handy ; General Motors film (1940, color, sound, 23 min.) The Medicus collection: reel 1 parts 1 and 2 (1939, color, silent, 43 min.) -- The Wathen collection (1939, color, silent, 28 min.) -- The World's Fair August 1940 (1940, color, silent, 7 min.) -- The world of tomorrow (1939, b&w, silent, 36 min.) -- New York World's Fair (1939, color, silent, 15 min.) -- Disc 2. The Medicus collection: reel 1 part 3, reel 2, reel 3 and reel 4 part 1 (1939, color, silent, 152 min.) -- Disc 3. The Medicus collection: reel 4 part 2, reel 5 and reel 6 (1939, color, silent, 152 min.) DVD 8683

Watch "To New Horizons" online (via the Internet Moving Image Archive)

Watch World of Tomorrow (part 1) online via the Internet Moving Image Archive

Watch World of Tomorrow (part 2) online via the Internet Moving Image Archive

The World of Tomorrow.

Describes the New York World's Fair held in 1939-1940. Shows various exhibits, featuring General Motors Futurama and the Westinghouse exhibit. Describes also the climate of the time, just after the Depression and before World War II. 1984. 58 min. Video/C 2879

Watch World of Tomorrow (part 1) online via the Internet Moving Image Archive

Watch World of Tomorrow (part 2) online via the Internet Moving Image Archive

1962 Chicago World's Fairs

World's Fair & Exposition Films

Documentary films of various world fairs and expositions featuring the Golden Gate International Exposition (1939), the Chicago World's Fair (1962), the World Expo in Montreal, Canada (1967), the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, and the Opening of Treasure Island, among others. Universal newsreel, March 17th 1958 (1 min.) -- Golden Gate International Exposition (1939, 3 films: 8 min, 10 min., 10 min.) -- Century 21 calling (1962 Seattle World's Fair) (14 min.) -- Century of Progress: International Exposition, Chicago (1933, 13 min.) -- Chicago World's Fair (1933, 13 min.) -- Dead Fair (Golden Gate Exposition, 1940) (1 min.) -- Universal newsreel, May 2nd 1967: Expo 67 "Monument to Man" (Canada, 2 min.) -- Farewell to Treasure Island (1940, 3 min.) -- Frisco Fair/Pacific Northwest (1939, 18 min.) -- Golden Gate Bridge (1939, 11 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915, 2 films: 5 min, 8 min.) -- Panama-Pacific International Exposition (Revisited), (1940s, 11 min.) -- San Francisco World's Fair (1939, 10 min.) -- Story of Jewel City (1915, 9 min.) -- Treasure Island (1939, 10 min.) DVD 5828

1962 Seattle World's Fair

Century 21 Calling

14 min. DVD 5828

1964-65 New York World's Fair

IBM at the Fair (1965)

See Films of Charles Eames

New York Worlds Fair Films, 1964

Historical footage of the Worlds Fair, New York 1964 including construction of the fair, the Unisphere, water works, music, architecture, night aerials, and much more. Contents: (1) Bird's Eye View (1965): Amazing footage of the fair from the sky (1 min.) -- Night Aerials (1963 - 64): Amazing footage of the fair from the sky, but this time at night (1 min.) -- World Fair Report (1964): Follows the construction of the buildings and exhibits of the 64 worlds fair in New York with interviews with the director of the project, Robert Moses (11 min.) -- Unisphere (1964): Follows the construction of the Unisphere for the fair (14 min.) -- To The Fair (1965): Amazing footage from the fair including night footage, water works, architecture, the Unisphere, music, amusement park rides, and more (26 min.) -- Out Of This World (1964): This is a Frigidaire produced film featuring a housewife as she visits the Futurama exhibit at the fair (13 min.) DVD 9231

New York World Fair Memories of 1964.

In World Fair planning, Lowell Thomas shows the construction of the fair, as well as what exhibits will be there. To The Fair follows two girls, a family and others as they visit the different sights of the fair. Offers rare glimpses inside many of the exhibits. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1991. 55 min. Video/C 4800

Watch "Leave It To Roll-Oh" online (via the Internet Moving Image Archive)

The 1964 World's Fair: Relive the Wonder

Part futuristic exhibition, part glittery strip mall, the 1964 New York World's Fair was planned amid the optimism of the late 1950s, but the Fair's two year run often mirrored the chaos of the 1960s. This film, set to a historical backdrop of world events, draws on the memories of fairgoers who found hope for the future in an understanding of other cultures presented at the Fair. 2000. 60 min. DVD 545; Video/C 5842

1967 Expo '67 (Montreal, Canada)

Universal Newsreel, May 2nd 1967

Expo 67 "Monument to Man" 2 min. DVD 5828

To the top

Fashion

American Fashion and Leisure, 1945-1950 (March of Time)

Selected newsreels from The March of Time which examines fashion, beauty and leisure time in the U.S. 105 min. Video/C 1113

America's youth, 1940-1950. Selected news stories from The March of time which examine the effects of war on the young men and women of America, their dreams and desires, and the conditions of U.S. schools and education. 90 min. Video/C 1114

Beautopia

Documents the world of actual and aspiring fashion models and supermodels. Four young women models are followed around the globe as they attempt to become superstars. Balanced with interviews with established models such as Lauren Hutton, Elle MacPherson, and Claudia Schiffer, the film contrasts the sobering reality of the business of beauty with its false promises, competition and rejection to the fairy tale images in the young models' heads. Director/producer/writer, Katharina Otto. 1993.104 min. Video/C 8594

Becoming Barbie.

This documentary provides a compelling look at body image issues and the role the media plays in promoting certain ideals for women. It examines eating disorders that have become commonplace in society and looks at the influence of the Barbie doll on young girls. Powerful media images, in particular in the fashion and advertising industry, serve as a backdrop for insights into the virtually impossible and highly dangerous physical goals that so many women strive to achieve. It also explores the new world of modelling in which models in video, film and photographs are sculpted by computer technology presenting images to emulate that are not even totally human. Includes interviews with teenagers and professionals working with eating disorder patients. 1993.47 min. Video/C 4544

Daywear London/New York. [Volume 1], Autumn/Winter 2004-2005

Designers/brand names: Donna Karan, Narciso Rodriguez, Calvin Klein, Paul Smith, BCBG-Maxazria, Diane Von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Jasper Conran, Rocha, Julien MacDonald, Nicole Farhi, Zac Posen, Catherine Maladrino, Anna Sui, Bill Blass. From the catwalks of Europe to the runways of America, presents fashion shows on daywear in London and New York by various designers or brand names. 74 min. DVD 4403

The Extremes of Fashion: From Now and Yesterday

Fashion show runways, photo shoots, the playgrounds of the chic and stylish: this program illustrates the cycles of women's couture through the '50s, '60s, and '70s -- and the portrayal of women in the media as they progressed through the postwar decade, the civil rights movement, Beatlemania, the Vietnam War, and the era of women's lib. Plenty of designer names are dropped, both from then and now, as viewers are presented with a kaleidoscope of relentlessly captivating creations from Europe and America. Whether covering everything or baring all, fashion liberates even as it objectifies. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2006. 53 min. DVD 8893

Fashion and Clothing

Various experts discuss the origins and history of clothing from the ancients to the moderns. Topics include symbolism associated with clothing, such as gender and status, sexism in fashion, the impact of wartime rationing on clothing styles, fashion icons such as Coco Chanel and body piercing and tatoos as a form of contemporary personal expression. 1998. 52 min. Video/C 9678

Fashion Through the Ages: The History of Costume

Pt. 1. Fashion in the ancient world (25 min.) -- pt. 2. [Fashion in] the Dark Ages through the 17th century (36 min.) -- pt. 3. [Fashion in] the late 1680's through the 19th century (24 min.) -- pt. 4. [Fashion in] the twentieth century (21 min.).

An overview of the history and development of clothing design from the sublime to the ridiculous that has been worn through the ages. Explains various clothing designs that have achieved popularity, describes the connection between fashions and the historical milieu in which they developed, investigates the origins of clothing among humans, and shows the continuity of basic styles throughout history. 2005. 106 min. DVD 4414

Model

The film shows men and women models at work on TV commercials, fashion shows, print advertising, posing for magazine covers and ads for a variety of products: designer's collections, fur coats, sports clothes and automobiles. The models are seen at work with photographers whose techniques illustrate different styles of fashion and product photography. Also, the business aspect of running an agency is shown: interviewing prospective models, career counseling, arranging portfolios, talking with clients and planning trips. The film presents a view of the intersections of fashion, business, advertising, photography, television and fantasy. A film by Frederick Wiseman. Dist.: Zipporah Films. 1980. 129 min. Video/C MM1076

Notebook on Cities and Clothes

Focuses on issues of identity -- how individuals see and define themselves based on clothes, where they live, how they see their place in the world. Profiles/interviews fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto as he and his staff prepare for presentation of a seasonal collection. Director/writer Wim Wenders compares the film and fashion industries, illustrating how they parallel one another. A film by Wim Wenders. 1989. 81 min. DVD 1556

Unzipped

Takes a hilariously revealing look at the high-powered world of fashion as New York fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi prepares to unveil his fall 1994 collection. A film by Douglas Keeve. 1995. 73 min. Video/C 6258 Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database

To the top

Games & Gaming

First Person Shooter

Takes a definitive look at the world of video games, a 20-billion dollar industry that has raised serious questions about violence, addiction and the spawning of new forms of aggression among boys and young men. It covers the battle between the computer and video game industry and the "Peace warriors", a group of parents and activists. 2001. 50 min. Video/C 9258

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Game On! Inside the Video Game Industry

Video games have come a long way since Pong and Pac-Man, and the development of that $25-billion industry is filled with useful business and technology case studies. This CNBC program explores the history of video gaming and takes viewers behind the scenes of the industry's success stories and failures. Interviews with key figures-including the architect of Xbox, the former chairman of Nintendo of America, and the founding father of video game technology-illuminate the birth, evolution, and present-day dynamics of the video game market. In addition to the corporate side of the industry, the program examines the cutting-edge process of computer game product development. Originally produced by CNBC in 2006. Dist.: Films Media Group. 90 min. DVD 9773

Game Over: Gender, Race & Violence in Video Games

This documentary addresses the fastest growing segment of the media, video games, through engaging questions of gender, race and violence. What are the messages of video games? Are video games desensitizing children to violence? How is race represented? Are interactive video games different from television? What images of masculinity and power are offered? What images of women exist in the video game world? Northhampton, MA: Media Education Foundation, c2000. 41 min. Video/C 7536

Gameheadz

Since the first Pong machine was launched three decades ago, computer games have evolved to become the world's second-largest entertainment industry, after music. This fascinating program profiles the visionaries, mavericks, and renegades of this addictive multibillion-dollar industry. Interviews with Nolan Bushnell, Ralph Baer, and others illustrate the innovation and creativity that went into the creation of Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Super Mario Brothers, and tetris, among others, and the Game Boy system. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2004. 50 min. DVD 4497

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

In this arcade showdown an unprecedented rivalry rocks the electronic world to its core. Join novice gamer Steve Wiebe on his quest to destroy the top score of gaming legend Billy Mitchell, the uncontested champion of the Donkey Kong world for over 20 years. Only one can truly claim the title King of Kong. Special features: Feature commentary with director Seth Gordon, producer Ed Cunningham and associate producers J. Clay Tweel and Luis Lopez; feature commentary with Chris Carle and Jon M. Gibson; extended interviews; animated short "A really, really brief history of Donkey Kong;" arcade glossary; "I am 8-bit" music & art gallery; theatrical trailer. 2007. 90 min. DVD X831

Playing the News.

In 2004, television, radio and print media covered the U.S.-led attack on Fallujah. So did one video game. But can video games do journalism? This documentary examines the role played by New York based reality games company Kuma Reality Games in connecting young people to current events. After designing a video game called Kuma/War based on the November 2004 siege of Fallujah, Kuma Reality began to think of itself as a news organization. But war reporting has certainly never looked like this before. A film by Jigar Mehta and Jeff Plunkett. 2005. 20 min. DVD 6108

The Video Game: Past, Present and Future

Traces the history of video games by companies, technologies, and economics that are fueling the industry in Japan, the U.S., and France. It also seeks to understand the driving force behind the video game's phenomenal cultural penetration while offering insights into the rigorous development and aggressive multichannel marketing of games and game consoles. The inevitable convergence of the video game and film industries and the impact of the Internet as a global gaming environment are also considered. Dist.: Films Media Group. 2001. 51 min. DVD 2378

The Video Games: Creating Virtual Fantasy

With annual sales figures mounting up into the billions of dollars, video games have reshaped the leisure landscape. Who are the brains behind the big-budget masterpieces such as Star Wars: Force Commander and the Turok series, and what is it like to be part of a game development team? In this program, creative directors, writers, designers, artists, programmers, composers, sound effects specialists, and testers from Nintendo of America, LucasArts, and Akklaim Studios step through every stage of the game development process, from initial concept to last-minute prerelease debugging. 2002. 46 min. DVD 2921

You Only Live Twice: Virtual Reality Meets Real World in Second Life

After introducing viewers to the compelling virtual world of SecondLife.com, this documentary grapples with overlapping in-world/real-world issues ranging from cybersex and the psychological repercussions of virtual sex crimes, to intellectual property rights fraud, to taxation on hard cash made on virtual cross-border sales, to the medical use of Second Life as a schizophrenia stimulator. Originally produced as a television program in 2007 for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation program 4 corners. Dist.: Films Media Group. 47 min. DVD X657

Print Culture

Bookwars.

Former New York City street bookseller, Jason Rosette explores what life is like for street booksellers in New York City in this gritty expose of the other side of book tables along the streets of the Village on the Lower East Side, along 6th Avenue and elsewhere in New York City. See the mayor, the University and the NYPD try to shut them down! Written, directed, edited and narrated by Jason Rosette2000. 77 min. Video/C 8757

Video Round Table Notable Video for Adults, 2002

Comic Book Confidential.

Combines historical footage, interviews, animation, and live action to trace the history of comic books from 1933 to 1988. 22 significant comic artists and writers are discussed: Lynda Barry, Charles Burns, Sue Coe, Robert Crumb, Will Eisner, Al Feldstein, Shary Flenniken, William M. Gaines, Bill Griffith, Jaime Hernandez, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, Stan Lee, Paul Mavrides, Frank Miller, Victor Moscoro, Francaise Mowly, Dan O'Neill, Harvey Pekar, Gilbert Shelton, Spain, Art Spiegelman. c1988. 85 min. DVD 1272; also VHS Video/C 4193

The Confessions of Robert Crumb

Interviews, monologues, and hilariously insightful vignettes written by Robert Crumb are woven together to portray the life, work, and obsessions of this underground comic book pioneer. Crumb continues as an iconoclast who's loved, feared and misunderstood by an ever growing number of readers. Here he tells the story of his artistry that shocks and satirizes every strata and dark hole of society. 1987. 55 min. Video/C 8650

Crumb.

A hilarious and mysterious journey through artistic genius and sexual obsession, Crumb is a wild ride through the mind of R. Crumb--cartoonist and creator of Zap Comix, Mr. Natural and Fritz the Cat. A film by Terry Zwigoff. 1995. 119 min. DVD 7151; vhs Video/C 4274

El Eternauta

Comic strip artists of Argentina discuss their art while presenting samples of their comic stips with their commentary. 1993. 25 min. Video/C 6605

Joan Braderman Performing a Postsemiological Reading of the Mind-bending National Enquirer

Hampshire College professor and stand-up theorist Joan Braderman reads and analyzes an issue of the National Enquirer. Dist.: Paper Tiger TV. 1983. 27 min. Video/C MM1217

Judith Mayne Reads Soap Mags

Ohio State Professor and feminist cultural critic, Judith Mayne gives a critical reading of soap opera magazines and subculture to discover their unmistakable allure. Mayne also interviews women on the street concerning their attitudes towards daytime television soaps. Dist.: Paper Tiger TV. 1991. 26 min. Video/C MM1215

Manga, Manga

Mangas are a new Japanese cultural manifestation-- enormous adults-only comic books produced to high qualitative levels on a weekly basis. This film includes interviews with artists of these strips and features comic strip characters AstroBoy, Mazinger, Lone Wolf and Cub, Akira and Devilman. 1990. 27 min. Video/C 6597

Not a Love Story: A Film About Pornography.

Shows pornography in various forms and explores its affect on individuals and on society. Director, Bonnie Sherr Klein. Dist.: National Film Board of Canada. 1991. 69 min. Video/C 2450

Obscene: A Portrait of Barney Rosset and Grove Press

Chronicles the life and work of Barney Rosset, the influential head of Grove Press and the Evergreen Review, who published such groundbreaking works of fiction as Lady Chatterley's Lover, Naked Lunch, and Tropic of Cancer, while fighting the U.S. government's obscenity laws along the way. Special features: Original theatrical trailer ; Barney Rosset extended interview ; Spike the poodle killer ; Get me out of this camp! ; Three years of torment ; Going the final step ; Illiterates ; Rum and Coke ; This oblivious prostitute. Directed by Neil Ortenberg and Daniel O'Connor. 2008. 90 min. DVD X1401

Patently Offensive: Porn Under Siege.

This documentary explores the tension between freedom of speech and the preservation of values which define a civilized society. Whose interests should prevail in the debate which rages about pornography's contribution to criminal behavior, its First Amendment status, and its abuse of women and even children? 1992?. 58 min. Video/C 2760

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Racism in Literature.

An entertaining and informative look at how racism is handled in comic books and speculative fiction. The program features interviews with minority science fiction authors and cartoonists including black science fiction writer Sanuel R. Delany, native American writer, Owl Goingback, Asian American science fiction writer William F. Wu, and many others. Dist.: Films Media Group. 1995. 30 min. Video/C 5503

Where the Heart Roams

Meet Barbara Cartland, Janet Dailey, Jude Deveraux, Rebecca Brandewyne and more in this look into the world of romance writers and their fans. Authors and editors debate about sexual content of romantic novels, types of characters, and explore important distinctions between romance, sexuality and pornography. c1987. 81 min. Video/C MM722

To the top

Subcultures / Alternative Cultures

The Beat Generation and Its Circle

Gay, Lesbian, Transgender Studies

Music (punk, Deadheads, Rap/Hiphop, etc.)

The 1960's (underground politics, hippie culture, drug culture)

The Ballad of Greenwich Village: Culture and Counter-culture

The artists, rebels, and bohemians who came to New York's Greenwich Village over many decades changed the face of American culture through their art and politics. This film portrays the important political and social movements that began in the Village: the first interracial jazz club, the earliest Socialist newspapers from before World War I, the Stonewall Rebellion. This unique history includes anecdotes from many famous writers, musicians and performers who got their start in the Village. Interweaves past and present, with 16mm footage, archival photographs, Hollywood movies, cartoons, informative interviews and scenes of contemporary village life. Accompanied by a lively soundtrack that ranges from ragtime to bebop to folk music, the film celebrates what was America's first bohemia. Produced and directed by Karen Kramer. 2005. 70 min. DVD 6989

Description from Filmakers Library catalog

Be77er [i.e. Better] Living Through Circuitry: A Digital Odyssey into the Electronic Dance Underground

Features: Frankie Bones, The Crystal Method, Genesis P-Orridge and Psychic TV, DJ Spooky, Carl Cox, Electric Skychurch, Roni Size, DJ Keoki, Wolfgang Flur, Atomic Babies, Moby.

Presents a rare insightful look at rave culture and the electronic dance community. A cross-section of the techno subculture is represented as ravers, DJs and musicians speak for themselves about their music and ideals. Presents such dynamic aspects of rave culture as empowerment through technology, the do-it-yourself ethic and the flowering of a new spirituality embracing transcendence through sound and rhythm. Special features: Filmmakers commentary, interview with DJ Dan,, The Crystal Method, Wolfgang Flur, Roni Size, Genesis P-Orridge ; computer animation reels from Nighttribe, OVT, soundtrack album audio previews, virtual flyer gallery, cast and crew biography for interviewed artists. 2000. DVD 451

Body Art

Throughout history people in nearly every culture have decorated or altered their bodies. The reasons are as varied as the patterns and processes: they seek to define themselves and their positions in society, to declare their allegiance to a god or to a cause, to conform to the customs of a group or to shock or entertain. From body painting to piercing to scarification, from tattoos to plastic surgery, from the Bronze age to the computer age, this film explores and celebrates the stunning diversity of body art. 2000. 50 min. DVD 1239

Burning Man Beyond Black Rock, An Authorized Documentary

Featuring: Larry Harvey, David Best, Marian Goodell, Will Roger, Harley Dubois, Danger Ranger, Crimson Rose. For seven days and nights, Black Rock City in Nevada stands as a community free of commerce, bound by a social contract of tolerance and cooperation, dedicated to art and self-expression. Then it disappears without a trace. The filmmakers spent 18 months with the founders, organizers, artists and participants to document the full complexity and diversity of the Burning Man community ... and their plans to bring its unique culture to the rest of the world. Special features: Over 2 hours of deleted scenes; extended interviews with the cast; outtakes; bonus 16-minute short film "Preacher with an unknown God." 2006. 106 min. DVD 6864

The Burning Man Festival [1996]

Burning Man festival (40 min.) -- Burning man: just add couches (50 min.) Commentary: Larry Harvey (director, Burning Man festival), John Law (technical director) Burning man festival: An indepth look at the Festival described as semi-structured anarchy; "a laboratory ... for reinventing civilization." Shows the construction of the 4 story high "Man" with interviews with the director of the festival, technical director and construction forman of "The Man." In "Just add couches" Joe Winston and his friends return to the festival and create the "Couch potato camp." "What this festival really needs is a living room setting, where people can watch TV and drink beer,"....which is harder than it looks with the nearest hardware store 50 miles away. c1997. DVD 6863; vhs Video/C 8366 (Burning Man Fesival only)

Burning Man Festival, 1994.

A stunning visual portrait of the Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Includes interviews with the creators of various performance art pieces. See a jet-propelled rocket car, a giant shark car, a dragon spouting fire, decorated "art cars", buses and persons. Concludes with the ritual destruction of a 4 story tall Burning Man. One of the most unique cultural events in late 20th century American culture. 48 min. Video/C 4774

Cyberpunk

Documents contemporary U.S. socio-cultural trends-- specifically in the San Francisco Bay region-- influenced by punk culture and computer and other advanced technologies. Features an interview with William Gibson, science fiction writer whose concepts have become a part of real life in the technology and culture of recent years. Topics covered include: virtual reality, hacking & piracy, art & fashion, industrial music, and mind machines & cyborgs. 1990. 60 min. Video/C 2907

Hackers

The Internet has become home to confidential information from virtually every nation in the world. But how safe is that information if computer-literate hackers can break into top-security computer systems? This program examines the role of hackers and reveals how their exploits highlight the profound insecurities of the Internet and the software that drives it. 2000. 60 min. DVD 2920; also on VHS Video/C 7808

Hackers: Wizards of the Electronic Age.

A group of people who used to haunt the computer rooms of universities, waiting for a chance to work or play with the huge machine, tell how they influenced the development of modern personal computers, show some of the latest technological advances, and discuss the ethics of software availability. 1985. 27 min. Video/C 1203

I Wanna Be Adored

Young people in British Columbia who live alternative lifestyles discuss their philosophies of life and the reasons why they shun traditional modes of dress, corporate structures, mass media, and consumerism. Narrators: Jello Biafra, Bif Naked. 1998. 48 min. Video/C 7443

Into the Heart of Fire: A Psycho-documentary of the Burning Man Festival

Follows three men with cameras and their friends, as they experience the 1998 Labor Day Burning Man Festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. 1998. 90 min. Video/C 9206

Invisible Revolution: A youth Subculture of Hate

This documentary profiles a chilling subculture among American youth: the clash between racist and anti-racist youth. Rising against the white supremacy movement, are a group of anti-racist skinheads, punk Anti Racist Action (ARA). Conflicts between these groups who are often indistinguishable as they battle one another, have led to assaults and even murder. A hard-hitting film with extreme expressions of racism. 2000. 55 min. Video/C 7656

Modern Tribalism

Journey into America's primitive soul in this graphic, unflinching and startlingly touching documentary about the resurgence of humanity's oldest and most intense rituals. From garden-variety tattooing, to frenzied effigy-burning festivals, to the disturbing extremes of body-piercing, this documentary explores the cultural context surrounding this underground movement. 2002. 77 min. DVD 1403

Modify

Meet thirty of the most modified people that have ever lived, and the amazing body artists who have changed them forever. This documentary presents more than 50 body modification procedures including tanning, waxing, piercing, branding, scarification, genital beading, elective amputations, bodybuilding, tattooing, tongue splitting, implants, plastic surgeries, transgender surgeries and everything in between. Directed & produced by Jason Gary & Greg Jacobson. 2006. 85 min. DVD 8787

Rebels: A Journey Underground.

1998. 47 min. each installment.

Society's Shadow. From Bohemia and 19th century European romanticism, this film looks back through history to uncover the beginning of "new vision" thinking in Western civilization and its links to what is now called counterculture. From 1830's Paris to New York City's Greenwich Village at the turn of the 20th century, it follows the paths which brought Europe's most rebellious voices to America. Includes profiles of William Blake, Victor Hugo, Theophile Gauthier, Charles Baudelaire, John Reed and Woody Guthrie. Video/C 7444

A New Kind of Bohemian. Following World War II, a new period of post-war social complexity overtook America. It was during this turbulent, often repressive Cold War time that Jack Kerouac coined the phrase, "beat" and gave birth to a new literary movement. This film follows the activities of this new breed of writer: Kerouac, Cassady, Ginsburg and a handful of outsiders who became known as the "Beat Generation." Video/C 7445

Turn on the Revolution. In 1959 a twenty-six year old creative writing student named Ken Kesey became a guinea pig for LSD experiments conducted by the CIA and later used this experience to write "One flew over the cuckoo's nest." Timothy Leary, a Harvard research psychologist turned rebel guru, told people to "Turn on, tune in, drop out!" while an anti-war activist named Abbie Hoffman led a peace demonstration at the 1968 Chicago democratic convention. This film delves into the world of hippies and yippies; young people who put themselves at risk in pursuit of "perception" and democratic freedom. Video/C 7446

A Riot of My Own. With the worlds "I am an anarchist" Londoner Johnny Rotten began a full-blown counterculture of protest and self-expression; a cry against crushing youth unemployment and a voice for the disenfranchised. This film examines a new kind of music, a new social critique and a new form of free speech. Featured are the bands, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and the Damned who turned the rebellious tension of rock and roll back on itself -- and blew it up. Video/C 7447

Earth Trauma. Born from the political activist movement of the 1960's, groups like Greenpeace, EarthFirst and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society scoffed at the mainstream tactics of institutionalized environmentalism and instead took direct action to protect Mother Earth. Witness here the story of grass-roots rebellion with an ecological cause; the story of radical environmentalists as their 'green rebellion' spread around the world. Video/C 7448

Welcome to Cyberia. The counterculture of the present and the forseeable future exists in cyberspace. The rebels who inhabit this "New Edge" of the human landscape are virtual reality experimenters, cyberpunks and underground computer hackers. This film zooms in on the pioneers of the newly created counterculture, rebels who question obsolete systems of thought and just may be at the forefront of a significant new social movement. Video/C 7449

Return of the Tribal: Body Piercing

For some people, body modification is a form of pop expression, while for others it is a rite of passage and a symbol of belonging. This program travels through the United States, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka to examine different types of body modification practiced today, including body painting, tattooing, scarification, body piercing, and structural alteration. 2000. 50 min. Video/C 8900

Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist

This award winning documentary follows the strikingly original life of the unique artist, comedian and performance artist Bob Flanagan. A provocative, deeply moving, often hilarious chronicle tracing Flanagan's experiences with sadomasochism in his struggle to manage the fatal illness Cystic Fibrosis, "Sick" explores the limits of pain, sexuality, love and death. 1997. 96 min. Video/C 6470

Stigmata: The Transfigured Body

Stigmata is a riveting look at body modification such as tattooing, cutting, piercing and branding, practices which are becoming increasingly popular amongst women. Although these activities are considered radical, the videotape suggests that they are no more physically radical than cosmetic surgery; and these women are transforming their bodies against conventional stereotypes of femininity rather than to conform to them. Stigmata explores concepts of beauty, self-determination and the outer limits of female sexuality. c1992. 27 min. Video/C 4926

Women Make Movies catalog description

Style Wars.

A documentary exploration of the subculture of New York's young graffiti writers and breakdancers, showing their activities and aspirations and the social and aesthetic controversies surrounding New York graffiti. Dramatizes conflicts between graffitists and the city, as well as among the graffitists themselves. c1983. 60 min. DVD 1668; also on VHS Video/C 2127

Style Wars web site (New Day Films)

Skin and Ink: Artists and Collectors.

Increasing numbers of women are choosing to become tattooed. This documentary looks at both women who have tattoos and those who create them, revealing motives for becoming heavily tattooed, as well as some of the social repercussions. 1990. 28 min. Video/C 4927

Skinheads of Asia

Presents astonishing insight into a group of Asians who have deliberately chosen a lifestyle that marginalizes them from mainstream society. Hadi became a skinhead when he was in his twenties. Today, he is the leader of the skinhead generation in Indonesia. Not ashamed or apologetic for his chosen lifestyle, Hadi brings us into his world of tattoos, body piercings and fixed ideologies. Why are young Indonesian men and women joining him? What is their quest in life? The film also visits Hanover, Germany, to examine the skinhead movement there. How are the German skinheads different from their Asian counterparts? Directed by Faozan Rizal. 2007. 52 min. DVD X589

Subincision

An examinaton of punk culture in the United States. Produced by students enrolled in Ethnographic Film (Anthropology 138B) in Spring of 1966, at the University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Anthropology. Last 20 min. of film lacks sound. Credits: Producer/director, Pam Rice. 28 min. Video/C 4404

We Aren't Blocking Traffic, We are Traffic!

This documentary chronicles the history and development of the "critical mass" bicycle movement, which reclaims city streets by bicycle activists riding en masse. The program tracks this leaderless, grassroots movement from its beginnings in San Francisco in 1992 to its spread across the globe to over 100 cities in 14 countries. Features shots of critical mass in action in Texas, Oregon, New York, London and Sydney, Australia. 1999 50 min. DVD 5457 [preservation copy]; vhs Video/C 7903

To the top